If My Heart Was A House
by arygon199
Summary: Puck/Quinn, AU. Quinn needs a roommate. Puck needs a place to live. The solution seems simple, but then again when have things ever been simple with Puck and Quinn?
1. All I Need

**A/N: This story is completely AU, which I typically don't do, but since we had absolutely nothing to go on Quick-wise in season 2, I figured why not? And what I mean by it being AU is that Puck and Quinn don't know each other. Quinn grew up in Lima, Puck grew up in Philadelphia, and they both moved to NYC after high school. That's really all you need to know for now. A large chunk of this story is already written (I started it late last year and I've been slowly working my way through it), but I didn't want to post it until I knew I was going to finish it. And I'm confident now that I will, so here it is…Enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Glee. And that's that. The title of the chapter and the lyrics to the song belong to Natasha Bedingfield. The title of this story is a song by Owl City._**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: <em>All I Need<em>**

_All I need is what I've got__  
><em>_My soul is free and I've got more than enough__  
><em>_I believe in love and I'll never stop__  
><em>_That's why all I need is what I've got_

It's much too cold for him to be wandering around the city, especially since he has no destination in mind. The January wind is raw and biting despite the clear, cloudless sky draped above. Puck doesn't think he's ever been so cold. Even the thick black scarf wrapped all the way up over his nose isn't enough to protect him from the chill. He should head home or he's bound to get sick, but he has little desire to stay cooped up in his tiny apartment - which is probably almost as cold as it is outside considering he hadn't been able to afford to pay his whole rent this month (and last month and the one before...) and his landlord repaid him by turning off the heat.

Across the street, a bustling, very warm looking Starbucks tempts him. He knows he needs to save every penny he has, but that doesn't stop him from reaching into his pockets and searching around for the three dollar bills he still had from the his subway performance two days earlier. His eyes narrow with indecision as stares down at the money. To spend or not to spend?

He doesn't exactly have a lot of money right now. His job at a small, little-known about music store doesn't pay too badly, but lately he hasn't been getting many hours due to declining business. Sometimes he'll bring his guitar down to the subway or streets and try to make some extra cash, which is really his only saving grace these days. When he moved to New York City only months after graduating, he knew it would be hard; he just didn't expect it to be _this _hard.

His eyes move from the money back to the welcoming Starbucks. He used to go to this very Starbucks every day, back when his best friend Artie still lived with him. Now, though, he has no one but himself to help with the rent. After Artie got married and moved out and Puck's financial situation continued to worsen, he thought more than once about asking his mom for help, but he quickly counted that option out. His mom barely makes enough money to pay her own bills as it is, and so he could never place his own burdens on her.

Still, he's not opposed to treating himself to a cup of coffee now and then. Plus, the three dollars he spent on his drink will be worth more than just coffee. It'll be worth at least a couple of hours of sitting in his favorite spot - the armchair at the corner of the very warm store - playing around on his iPod touch. This thought quickly settles it. He looks both ways and then jogs across the street and into the coffee shop.

The heat hits him right away and he immediately knows he's made the right decision. He's happy to see that the store's mostly empty. Just a couple people on their lap tops at the tables by the window. It's an unusual sight, even at two in the afternoon, when most people are either at work or school. This is New York City, after all. The busiest place on earth.

He walks up to the front counter with a big smile on his face, already more than happy with his decision to splurge. His smile widens at the sight of the only barista in the room, who comes to greet him. He's seen her here before, just a few times, but she was always the one making drinks, so he never actually got a chance to speak to her until now. He always admired her, though. It's hard not to, considering she's the definition of sexy.

"What can I get you?" The tone in her voice isn't exactly the cheerful, welcoming kind he's used to hearing from the other people who work here. She gives him an impatient look, but he's lost in her blond hair, which is pulled back into a simple pony tail (he wonders how much more amazing it would look pulled down...), a slightly annoyed expression on her face - which only enhanced her appeal. He likes a girl with a bit of an attitude.

"What. Can. I. Get. You?" she repeats, this time enunciating her words like he's an ape who can't comprehend the human language.

He cocks an eyebrow, impressed at her feistiness. He likes this girl alright. "Vente americano, two pumps of vanilla." Normally he has four or five pumps, but he can't afford that much today. Two will just have to do.

"That's it?"

He hands her the three dollars, already knowing the cost. "That's it."

She takes the money and quickly hands him a quarter and a nickel back. He stuffs it back in his pocket, thinking that with this, he's got enough change at home to buy another drink tomorrow. The barista walks over the machines and starts on his drink. He walks slowly over to the counter in the corner, just a few feet from his favorite chair, where he waits for his drink and watches her work. He can tell that his watching annoys her, which only amuses him.

"Hey, can I ask you a question..." He narrows his eyes as he tries to read her name tag, "Quinn?"

She looks over at him with that same annoyed expression she's been wearing since he got here. "Mmm."

He takes that as a yes. "Don't you have to be, you know..._cheerful_, to work here?"

He says it playfully, and he's actually a little surprised that she senses this too. He had been thinking that this girl didn't have a sense of humor.

"It's not a part of the contract," she says, smirking at him.

"Then why is everyone else here so happy, as opposed to you and your moping."

"I'm not moping," she says airily, "I've just been up since five in the morning, was at school until ten, and have been working here for three hours. I'm tired."

"Well, I guess I can get that."

She snorts, but doesn't say anything, just walks to the counter and hands him his drink. He looks at her curiously.

"What?" he asks.

She gives a wry smile and shakes her head. "Nothing."

"You think I'm not the type of guy who wakes up at five in the morning, huh?"

"Well, no. But it's your fault for my preconceived notions, since your little mohawk just _oozes_ responsibility."

He laughs and runs a hand over the mohawk he's had since high school. His mom begs him to get rid of it every time he visits, but he won't let her touch it. He'll cut it off someday, but when he does, it'll be on _his _terms.

"You don't like my hawk? Come on, it's awesome."

"It's not."

"It _is_. Everyone but you can see that. Well, everyone but you and my mom."

"Smart mom you've got, then."

He snickers at her attempts to make fun of him. "Funny. Well, I've had enough insults to my hair today." He points to his armchair. "Just letting you know, I will be spending the next few hours camped out over there. The heater at my apartment is currently out of order and I need a warm place to chill out for awhile."

"Thanks for informing me," Quinn says dryly.

He gives her a wink, knowing it'll probably annoy her to no end. "No problem, babe."

As expected her face scrunches up distastefully. Chuckling softly, he turns around and heads to his corner, where he sinks into the fluffy red armchair, throws on his headphones, closes his eyes, and loses himself in the music.

**888**

"Not too busy around here, huh?"

Quinn looks up from the book she was reading and greets her co-worker Katie with a small smile. "Nope. It's been really slow. Everyone's probably at Duncan's."

Katie laughs as throws on her green apron and leans against the counter. "That or the weather's keeping everyone inside. It's insanely cold today."

"The news said it's the coldest day of the year," Quinn remarks.

"Is it bad that I'm actually loving it? Slow days are so rare nowadays."

"And I'm taking full advantage of it." Quinn holds up the text book she had been studying every free chance she had. Accounting. She isn't at all interested in the subject, but it's a requirement for her course of study. Plus, no matter how much she despises it now, it'll come in handy when - or should she say _if -_ she opens her own business.

Katie cringes. "That looks fun."

"Oh, it's pure joy. I've got my first test coming up tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail."

"Quinn Fabray? As in the girl who tells me she got straight A's through all of high school and beyond? Fail a test? Not possible."

"I thought so too. Until now."

Katie gives her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Don't stress yourself out, Quinn. You'll do great, I _know_ you will. And you know I know everything."

A customer walks in and Katie tells Quinn she'll handle it. Quinn settles back into studying the differences between accrual and cash-basis accounting, which she doesn't think she'll ever be able to grasp, before she catches herself glancing over to her right, where mohawk boy is still sitting, eyes closed, listening to his music. Every now and then he'll hum the tune to the song he's listening to, but otherwise, he hasn't said a word for two and a half hours. It's been wonderful.

Katie starts making the customer's drink. "So how's that roommate search coming?"

Quinn sighs. "It's not."

"Quinn," Katie says in a disapproving tone, "you're running out of time. The month's almost over."

"I know. It's just the idea of having a complete stranger moving into my home, invading my personal space...It's weird."

"People do it all the time here. It's pretty much a necessity for most people. But you know you don't _have _to do it. You could ask your parents."

"No, I can't," Quinn says, a determined edge in her voice. It's not that her parents wouldn't help her out if she asked. On the contrary, she knows they would. They already pay a portion of her rent anyway, not to mention her college tuition, which isn't cheap. She just can't ask them for anymore, especially since finding a new roommate will solve all her problems. She just wishes Rachel had waited a little while longer to move in with Finn. It would have saved Quinn the stress of having to find a new roommate, at least for a little bit longer.

"Should I just drop the subject?"

Quinn gives her a grateful nod.

"Okay then, I will." A smile comes to Katie's face as she seems to notice something. "Ah, Puck's here."

Quinn looks at her curiously. "Puck?"

"The guy over in the corner with the mohawk. He used to come in everyday, but I haven't seen him around in awhile."

"Puck." Quinn tests out the name with a cluck of her tongue. "What kind of name is that?"

"I don't know. Nickname, maybe? I think it's cute. _He's _cute. Matter of fact, if I wasn't taken, I'd be tempted to try to get to know him a little better, if you know what I mean."

"Really? He seems like kind of a jerk, to be honest."

Katie chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "You would think that."

"I can't help it. He just seems so...arrogant."

"I don't think he's arrogant. Just a little over confident."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not. And why the intense hatred for a guy you just met?" Katie asks, looking more than amused as she finishes the latte she was making.

"It's not hatred, it's just annoyance. I've had a long day and for some reason he and his stupid mohawk really bother me."

Katie just laughs. "Fine. I won't argue with you any longer. Puck is an arrogant jerk with a stupid mohawk. Now get back to studying or you're gonna fail."

Quinn glares playfully at Katie, who goes back to help a few more customers who've walked in. She stares back at the text book, but it's only a few seconds later when her eyes stray his way again. He's just sitting there, a peaceful smile on his face, his fingers tapping his knee at a steady beat. Against her will, a small smile creeps onto her lips. Okay, so maybe he's not _that _annoying. At least when he's not speaking. She can't deny he's attractive, even with the mohawk. Katie seems to like him too, which means he can't be as cocky as she thought, since Katie doesn't put up with guys like that. She feels kind of bad for him, actually. He said his heater is broken and it's only getting colder as the evening goes on. He'll be in for a cold night.

Great. Now she feels _really _bad for him.

She sets down her book and grabs a cup from the stack next to her before walking over the coffee machine. She doesn't even realize what she's doing until the lid is sealed on tight and she is walking over to him. She sets the coffee down on the side table next to him, intending to just slip away and deny it when he later asked if it was her who brought the coffee, but unfortunately Puck notices her.

"What's this?" he asks, glancing at his new cup of coffee in confusion.

"I believe it's called coffee."

Puck stares at her. "I don't have any more money on me right now."

"I wasn't asking for money, was I?"

He smiles a little (and she hates that she finds his smile so charmingly cute). "No."

"So drink it and shut up."

She walks away from, sending a feeble wave in the acknowledgment of his quiet thank you, and finds her way back to her textbook. She feels a little bad for studying on the clock, but she thinks of the hours of overtime and the holidays she's put into this place in the three years she's worked here and feels a little better about it.

"Reading on the job? That's a big no, no."

She sighs as she looks up from her book and finds Puck leaning against the counter, a grin on his lips. "I liked you better when you didn't speak."

He says nothing, just stares at her, that cocky smile of his still there (she isn't finding it so charming now), and takes a very slow sip of his coffee. She glares at him.

"What? I'm not saying anything."

She rolls her eyes. "You're very, _very_ annoying."

"Well, I won't be annoying you much longer. I'm on my way out." He pats his stomach. "Puckasaurus is in need of some grub."

"I..." She just shakes her head, wondering if he really just referred to himself as a _Puckasaurus. _"I don't even know what to say to that."

"I'm always leaving the ladies speechless."

"Not for the reasons you think, I'm sure."

Puck just laughs and backs away from the counter. He raises a hand in farewell. "Later, babe. Thanks for the coffee."

She watches him leave, her lips twitching into an unimpressed smirk. Yes, she liked him _much _better when he was silent.

**888**

When Puck arrives at his apartment a few minutes later, he's thinking he'll just grab a few pairs of clothes and crash on Artie's couch. He'll freeze to death tonight if he stays at his own place. Plus, he's sure Artie won't mind, and he's pretty sure Tina won't mind either, as she's always been pretty lax about him hanging around their place.

Puck hikes up the four floors to his room (damn elevator is broken again), wishing he was still back in his armchair at Starbucks. It was the vest afternoon he's had in weeks, that's for sure. Mostly it's because it was so relaxing, but he also particularly enjoyed today because of the beautiful barista he'd had the pleasure of meeting. He annoyed Quinn, he knew that. He clearly isn't the type of guy she's normally into. But that just makes him want her all the more. Artie does always say that Puck likes a challenge.

He stops on his floor to catch his breath and searches through his pockets for his key. He quickly finds it and begins walking down the hall to his room, only to be stopped a second later at the sound of his name. He closes his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the conversation to come.

Then he turns on his heel and faces the music. "Hey, Mr. Kowalski."

His landlord wears a grim smile. "Noah. Nice to finally see you. I've been trying to contact you for a week, but you've been conveniently out every time I've tried."

"Yeah, uh...You're probably wanting to know when I'm gonna have all the money I owe you ready..."

"Actually, I'm not."

Puck's taken by surprise. "Really?"

Mr. Kowalski crosses his arms, his lips twitching into a frown. "I'm sorry, Noah, but this isn't good news. I have to put my foot down. You've been late on your rent for over six months, and three of those months haven't even been the full amount. Not to mention, you still haven't paid for last month at all."

"Mr. Kowalski, I'm sorry, I've just been in a bad financial place lately. But I promise you I will pay you every cent I owe you. And last month's rent is coming tomorrow, I promise. I got my paycheck today. I just need it to go through the bank."

But Mr. Kowalski shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Noah, I really am. I just can't let this go on any longer. I'm going to have to ask you to be moved out by the end of the week."

"The end of the week," Puck murmurs. Knowing there is nothing he can say to get Mr. Kowalski to change his mind, he has no choice but to agree. "Alright."

It's probably for the best anyway. He knew this would happen eventually.

"I'm sorry, Noah," Mr. Kowalski says again, before leaving Puck by himself.

Puck runs a hand over his forehead, letting out a few select curse words to vent his frustration. He shakes his head slowly, not even remotely surprised at his bad luck, and walks to his apartment. It's freezing, as expected. He grabs a duffel bag, walks over to his bedroom drawer and stuffs a pair of jeans and sweatpants, along with a couple of t-shirts into it. He pulls out his cell phone and texts Artie to ask if he can stay with him and Tina tonight. Artie's response comes within the minute, telling him that he can.

As Puck locks up the apartment that will only be his for a couple more days, he wonders if he'll ever catch a break.

Somehow, he doesn't think so.

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><p><strong>So there's chapter 1. I've got about 15 chapters planned, so this is only the beginning. I hope that you don't find any of the characters too OOC, although at times it was unavoidable due to the whole AU aspect. Plus they're not teenagers anymore, so Quinn's not going to be the ice queen bitch and Puck's not going to be the immature jackass. Well, at least not <em>all <em>the time. You'll still see those sides of the characters, just not as much.**

**Anyway, I'd love to know what you all think, so please leave a review if you can! Like I said earlier, I've got a lot of the story all written. I'm going to be selfish, though, and wait to post the next chapter until I've gotten a decent response. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Brighter Than the Sun

**A/N: I've got to say I was totally blown away by the response to the first chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review. You're all the ones keeping motivated to keep writing, that's for sure. I also want to thank those who alerted/favorite – you guys are awesome!**

**So there's a little time jump this chapter, but only by a few weeks. A lot of the chapters will be separated by a few weeks in time, because there's a lot that needs to happen and I'm not one for dragging things out. Although one or two may end on a cliffhanger…but you'll just have to wait and see.**

**The chapter lyrics and title are from a great song by Colbie Caillat. I also feel like I should throw in a little disclaimer towards Starbucks because I mention it so much in here – I don't have any rights to it obviously, but oh how I wish I did!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: <em>Brighter Than the Sun<em>**

_Oh this is how it starts__  
><em>_Lightning strikes the heart__  
><em>_It goes off like a gun__  
><em>_Brighter than the sun__  
><em>_Oh we could be the stars__  
><em>_Fallin' from the sky__  
><em>_Shining how we want__  
><em>_Brighter than the sun_

It takes about two weeks for Puck to realize that he doesn't like living with Artie and Tina. It's not the people that he's living with - he loves them both - but rather the situation. He feels like a third wheel, which isn't something new to him, since it seems like all his friends are now paired off with significant others, but the feeling is magnified tenfold now that he's actually living with the married couple. It's fine when it's just him and Artie, playing video games or watching football like old times. But then Tina comes home and Puck feels like he's intruding in on a million personal moments. He's some guest who never leaves, that they always feel like they need to entertain. He feels bad about it and has told both of them this on multiple occasions, but they brush it off, telling him it's no big deal. He doesn't believe them.

It doesn't help that Tina is absolutely shameless about PDA. Puck has walked in on them doing things that can't be unseen at least three times. That alone makes it hard to look his best friend and his wife in the eye.

It's for these reasons that Puck decides it's time for him to really get serious about finding a new place to live. It's something he's not particularly looking forward to, as apartment hunting is a very stressful journey, but it must be done.

Puck is just on his way out, guitar by his side, when Artie arrives home from class. Puck gives a hello and goodbye all at once before sweeping past him.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Artie calls after him. Puck turns around to see Artie wheeling himself down the hall. "Where are you going?"

"I gotta go buy a newspaper." Arties stares blankly at him. "I'm looking for apartments," Puck clarifies.

"Oh." A guilty look crosses Artie's face. "You know you can stay here as long as you need, right?"

"I know, and I appreciate that, I really do. You and Tina have been awesome. But I need to do this. For me and for you."

Artie nods understandingly. "Alright. I'd offer to help you get started, but I've got to be at work by noon. But tonight I'll help you look, if you want?"

"Sounds good. Thanks" He pats Artie on the shoulder before turning to leave.

He decides that he'll just buy a paper at Starbucks, since he has been aching for some coffee all morning. For reasons he can't understand, Artie and Tina aren't big coffee drinkers. There are quite a few coffee shops that are closer to Artie's than the one he's choosing to go to, but he decided earlier that he was gonna do some jamming on the street and his chosen location is the one where he tends to make the most money - right across the street from his work and about six blocks from his favorite Starbucks. Of course there are other reasons for his preference for this particular store, namely having to do with the hot barista whose nerves he's always on the last end of, but that's just gravy.

When he arrives, he's glad to see that Quinn is indeed there. She doesn't seem nearly as happy to him, though. She gives him a bored look as she comes to take his order.

"The usual?" she asks him.

He nods. "And this." He hands her the newspaper he grabbed from outside.

She smirks at him. "You mean you can _read_? What a surprise."

"That's just _hilarious_!" He snaps the paper back from her. "Now do your job and make me drink."

Despite her knack for making fun of him, the past few weeks he's known her he has learned that he actually enjoys being around her. He can take the teasing (although sometimes he wonders if she's actually means her insults, since she can be pretty straight-faced at times), mostly because he teases her right back. It annoys the crap out of her too, which he enjoys almost as much as he enjoys admiring her very appealing figure.

Right now, though, he's feeling a bit more serious. He really wants to get this apartment hunting out of the way and move on with his life. He sits down in his corner, turns on his iPod, and starts scanning the classifieds for anything good. He'll use his iPod Touch for the internet later, but first he wants to see if he can find any good deals in the paper. Over the years, he has found that a lot of the best deal are found in the newspaper, since a lot of older people aren't fond of the internet and would rather post their ads the old fashion way.

He finds a few decent deals, but most of them are in Harlem and he is hoping to find something here in the lower east side, since it's where he used to live and most of his friends live there too. Either that or the upper east side, which is where he works. Upper tends to be a little more expensive than lower, which he's definitely seeing as he looks through the ads, so he figures he'll probably end up finding a place back near his old place.

He's pulled out of his reading when a coffee cup is set (more like slammed, actually) on the table next to him. He pulls out his headphones and peeks cautiously over his newspaper. Quinn is standing there, arms crossed, that typical look of annoyance written across her face.

"Have you not heard me calling your drink for the last five minutes?"

"Sorry, my music was kind of loud." He grabs his drink and takes a sip.

"If you hadn't noticed, I'm a barista, not a waitress. I take your order, make your drink, and call you up to come get it. That's it. I don't bring it to you."

"That's a shame," Puck murmurs as he lifts the paper back up and tries to find the ad he had been in the middle of reading before Quinn's interruption. "You'd probably make a lot more tips if you did."

It's only a second later, however, when a hand pushes the newspaper down and her smoldering glare is beating down on his face.

"I'm sorry," he says, chuckling softly. He pulls a dollar out of his coat and holds it out to her. "For your troubles."

She looks unimpressed with his offer, but takes it anyway. He watches as she moves to the table next to him and starts cleaning it off with a rag. "Why the sudden interest in current events?" she asks him. He's glad to see that her irritation has moved on to curiosity. "You've been coming in here for weeks and all I've ever seen you do is listen to music."

"I'm looking for apartments."

He tries to focus back on the task at hand, but it's hard when Quinn's backside is only two feet away, straight in his line of vision. He hides a grin as she turns to look at him again.

"Why?"

He laughs at the question. Shouldn't it be obvious? "Because I need a place to live."

"I knew it. I _knew _you were homeless."

He rolls his eyes. He knows she's kidding, but he's not in the mood for her petty jokes right now. "I'm not homeless. I got kicked out my place a few weeks ago and have been living with friends, but..."

Immediately, he regrets his words. He doesn't want her to know he was kicked out. It's not her business and, frankly, he doesn't want to give her another reason to tease him. Strangely, though, she doesn't seem to have noticed his slip of the tongue. Or if she has, she doesn't mention it.

She stares at him expectantly. "But what?"

"But it's time for me to find my own place again. So if you'll excuse me, I've got to keep looking."

He lazily waves her away, but Quinn stares at him for a moment, a look of deep thought crossing her face. He stares back at her, finding her reaction more than odd, but before he can ask her about it, she's walking away.

"Well," he says aloud, "that was weird."

But knowing it's pointless to try to understand that girl, he shrugs it off and gets back to work.

**888**

Quinn works diligently behind the counter, trying to focus on the caramel macchiato she's making instead of the stupid idea that's been slowly eating at her brain the past hour and a half. But she can't help it. Every time she even looks in Puck's general direction, the thought comes creeping back in. She can't seriously be thinking about asking _him _to be her roommate. He's obviously not trustworthy, if he got kicked out of his apartment. She doubts she would be able to rely on him to make his share of the rent on time.

Then there's the fact that he's a guy, and her parents would not approve of her living with a man, whether or not they were romantic with each other. It's all the same to her parents, anyway. And she sees the way Puck admires her when he thinks she's not looking (hell, even when she _is _looking - he really doesn't seem to care). She knows that Puck probably wants to sleep with her. For that reason alone, asking him to move in with her would not be a good idea.

But she's desperate. Really, _really _desperate. And right now, Puck seems like a decent option. Better than a stranger at least.

"Quinn!"

She is more than grateful to be distracted by her thoughts as one of her best friends has appeared at the front counter. "Hey, Rachel," Quinn says. "Aren't you supposed to be at rehearsal?"

Rachel is an aspiring stage actress. She's been pretty successful so far, having her fair share of small parts on a Broadway shows. Quinn's quite sure that eventually Rachel will be the leading lady in some popular musical that will be sure to make her famous. At least that's what Rachel always says.

"I have to be there in forty-five minutes, but I wanted to stop by here first. Come over here, real quick." Rachel motions to an empty table by the front window. They both sit down and Rachel looks at her seriously. "Quinn, I think I may have found the solution to your roommate crisis."

"Really?" Quinn feels a wave of relief hit her. She really did _not _want to ask Puck to be her roommate.

"Yes," Rachel says, but as Quinn finallyregisters the anxious look on Rachel's face, she has a feeling that Rachel's solution isn't going to be one she likes. "Now before I say anything, just promise me, you'll at least think about it before you shut me down."

Quinn sighs. "Yeah, because _that _makes me feel better..." She trails off as she notices Puck getting ready to leave and, for the first time, she notices the guitar he carries with him. She grins; of course mohawk boy is a musician.

Puck gives her a nod as he walks past her. "I'll see you later."

"Find anything good?" Quinn asks before he can leave.

"A few," he vaguely answers. He starts to leave again, but not before sending her a small, crooked smile - one that she tries hard to ignore, as it always sends her heart racing. She hates that just a stupid smile can do that do her and, what's worse, that it's _his _stupid smile. Now she sees even more that his moving in with her would _not _be a good idea.

When Quinn looks back at Rachel, her friend is staring at her with that familiar knowing grin of hers. "What was _that_?"

"Nothing. He's just a guy that comes around here a lot. Couldn't be more annoying. Now tell me about this solution of yours."

"That was not nothing, Quinn. That was very much something. Did you see the way he was looking at you?"

"I don't really care how he was looking at me, Rachel. Trust me, he's not my type."

"But he had a guitar, he's a musician. Maybe he sings too!" Rachel looks oddly excited at the idea.

"If you like him so much, go ahead and take him for yourself, although I'm not sure Finn would approve. Once you get to know him, you'll understand why I find it hard to be attracted to him."

"I just mean that musicians are typically sensitive-"

Quinn snorts. Puck? Sensitive? That's an oxymoron if she's ever heard one.

"Rachel, don't you have to be going soon? Why don't you get back to the reason you came here. I'm not even supposed to be on a break."

Rachel doesn't look pleased at the change of subject, but does as Quinn asks, probably realizing the limited amount of time she had before she needed to get to her rehearsal.

"Okay, fine. So remember, _think _about this, okay? It may sound unappealing at first, but-"

"_Rachel._"

"Sorry." Rachel clears her voice. "Do you remember my cousin Joshua? Our glee club sang at his brother's bar mitzvah?"

"The guy with the _really_big glasses and braces?" Oh, yes, she remembers him, and she _definitely _doesn't like where she thinks this conversation is headed.

"Well, his braces are gone now and I think he has smaller glasses, more stylish...Anyway, I talked to him today and he told me he's planning on moving here, and well, obviously he needs a place to stay. So, I told him about you and he seemed really excited about it."

"Of course he seemed excited about it! He tried to get me drunk on vodka before our performance and when that didn't work he decided his next best bet was to just jump on top of me and force his disgusting chapped lips all over my face. It took Finn _and _Mike to pull him off of me! I was _this_close to filing a lawsuit."

"I realize that was a bit traumatic for you, but he was a fifteen year old boy. He's nineteen now, and he's matured a lot. I even have a picture, if you'd like to see it. He's quite the looker now." Rachel looks slightly desperate as she digs around her purse for said picture.

Quinn just shakes her head. "Once a creeper, always a creeper."

"Quinn, you promised me you'd at least think about it!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but this is just not an option. I don't care if he looks like Brad Pitt - your cousin is _not _moving into my apartment."

Crossing her arms, Rachel sits back in her chair and lets out a frustrated sigh. "What other options do you have, Quinn? You seem absolutely against having someone you don't know move in with you."

"I do have another..." She doesn't finish the sentence, not wanting to admit aloud that Puck actually is an option. Although, right now, she's thinking that maybe he really is.

"You what?" Rachel asks. "You have another option?"

Quinn sighs. "Not really."

Rachel nods. "That's what I thought. Look, I understand you not trusting Joshua, I really do, and I'm perfectly fine with you not wanting him to be your roommate, but you've got to get serious about this. I can't help you out this month, Quinn. I want to, but I really can't."

"I don't expect you too," Quinn murmurs.

The past few months, Rachel had been helping Quinn pay the portion of the rent that she could no longer afford. Quinn, being incredibly stubborn as usual, had refused the help at first, but eventually Rachel had won her over.

"I just want to make sure you're taken care of," Rachel adds, sending Quinn a soft smile.

"I know," Quinn says, matching Rachel's smile. "And I will be. Worst comes to worst and I'll just have to ask my parents for help."

"That would probably be harder for you than Joshua moving in, huh?"

"No. Nothing could be harder than that."

Rachel laughs. "I'm sorry for ever bringing it up then."

"No, it's okay, it was a good motivator for me to really get serious about this roommate thing."

"Well, at least you have that," Rachel says as she stands up to leave. "I've got to get going. I'll see you later. And don't worry, everything will work out."

"I know. Thanks, Rach." She gives Rachel a short hug before Rachel is on her way.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, Quinn gets back to work, all the while realizing that her desperation increased tenfold during her conversation with Rachel. And, realizing what that means, she starts to reconsider if asking her parents for more money is really that big of a deal.

**888**

About an hour later, Quinn finishes up her shift and begins her walk home. During her last hour at work, she came to the conclusion that she needs to make a decision about the roommate issue by the end of the night. The way she sees it, she has three options. One, put an ad in the newspaper for a roommate (this is something she has absolutely no desire to do). Two, ask her parents for even _more _money (this option makes her incredibly guilty). Or three, she can ask Puck to move in with her (this option, while feeling like the craziest one, also somehow seems the most logical. It's also, strangely enough, the most appealing one).

She walks down the street, lost in her own thoughts, until the sound of singing stops her in her tracks. Eyes narrowing at the familiarity of the voice, she tries to decipher how she recognizes it. A second later, as she begins walking in the direction of the singing, she sees him. Puck is on the corner of the street, strumming enthusiastically on his guitar, singing loudly and proudly, a few people stopped to watch him.

She pulls her coat around her, sealing herself from the cold, and, making sure she stays out of his line of sight, she listens. He's got a soft voice - an attractive one, there's no denying. He's singing a song she's never heard before - something about a Catholic girl and dying young. She finds it somewhat inappropriate (although she isn't surprised that _he _would sing it), but the others who stand by listening or even just walking by all have big smiles on their faces, obviously enjoying the song and the enthusiasm he sings it with.

After another minute, he finishes up, gaining a round of applause from the three or four people who were actually paying attention. She stands to the side, debating whether or not she wants to make her presence known. Ultimately, though, the choice is not hers, as he turns in her direction at that very moment and spots her right away.

"Well, hi there, Q. Didn't see you there. Like what you hear?"

She cocks an eyebrow and takes a few steps towards him. "I won't lie, you've got a decent voice. And don't call me Q."

"Decent? Babe, I've got an _amazing _voice."

His arrogance greatly bothers her. "Then why are you out here singing on the streets instead of inside some fancy recording room?"

He gives her an impatient look. "It's recording _studio_, hot stuff. If you're gonna insult me, at least do it right."

"I'm not insulting you, I'm just being real. Maybe you should get a job instead of wasting all your time out here, where your talents are clearly being ignored. Maybe then you wouldn't have been kicked out of your apartment."

She doesn't mean to insinuate that he's a slacker, because even though she barely knows him she can tell that he's the type of guy who works hard at what he does. But she's also starting to see that maybe there was a good reason his landlord kicked him out. She definitely doesn't want a guy who sings on the street for a living as her roommate - it's not exactly a position of reliability - so she can see why his landlord wouldn't want him as a tenant.

"I really wish I hadn't told you that," he mutters to himself, before adding, "And I do have a real job." He pulls off his guitar and sets it against the building before scraping the ten or so dollars he made from inside the guitar case and stuffing it inside his jacket.

She can tell he's getting tired of her attitude and starts to feel bad. She has always had a problem with the somewhat condescending way she deals with most people (she likes to blame it on her parents for raising her with the belief that she is better than everyone, but she knows it's partly her fault too). She has worked on it a lot since high school and has gotten a lot better, but obviously now it's coming back out and she doesn't like it one bit.

"Oh," she says a bit meekly. She wants him to see she's sorry without actually having to say it. "Where?"

He points across the street. "See that place there? Abe's?"

She scans the area where he's pointing. It takes a few moments, but her eyes settle on a small but respectable looking place called Abe's Musical Repair. It's funny, she walks this way almost every day and not once has she ever noticed that shop.

"You work there?"

"Yup. And I get a real paycheck and everything," he sarcastically adds.

She watches as he sets his guitar in the case. She feels really bad now. "I'm sorry. I'm not normally so mean. You're just..."

He smirks up at her. "What?"

"I don't know...You're just really easy to tease."

"Why?"

She huffs in annoyance. "I already said I don't know."

He just laughs, but as he picks up his guitar case he turns serious. "You know, maybe if you actually tried to get to know me, you'd see I'm not just a cocky wannabe musician with a mohawk."

She stares thoughtfully at him for a moment. Maybe it's her guilty conscience trying to make up for the way she's treating him, or maybe there's a part of her that genuinely would like to get to know him more, but either way, the next words that come out of her mouth next surprise her probably even more than they surprise him.

"I have a proposition for you."

Puck's lips twitch into a grin. "I'm liking where this conversation is headed." He sidles up to her, his hand grazing her arm.

She slaps his hand away and glares at him. "Not that kind of proposition, perv."

"I'm not a perv. I'm just a guy who's attracted girls. Very _sexy_ girls."

And now she is already regretting her decision. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Just as she turns to walk away, he holds her back with a surprisingly gentle hand. "Sorry." He shakes his head, clears his throat, and stares at her seriously. "I'm done being obnoxious. Go on."

Sighing, she crosses her arms and wonders if she's making a mistake. "Fine, but let's go somewhere warm. It's freezing out here."

"Starbucks?"

"I just left there, and besides, I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

He grins. "You asking me out?"

"_Puck_."

"Sorry. Let's do it then."

"Where do you wanna go?" she asks as they begin wandering down the street.

"Anywhere's cool with me," he says with a shrug. "I've got a lot of extra cash now that I don't have to worry about rent. It's kind of nice, actually."

They decide on a Chinese restaurant not far from Quinn's apartment. As they place their orders and settle into their seats, Quinn puts off her reason for inviting him just a little bit longer and instead asks him something she's been wondering ever since she met him.

"Puck's not your real name, is it?"

"Why? You don't like it?"

She's realizing now that Puck doesn't like to give direct answers to questions. It's beyond annoying.

"It's interesting," she replies, "it's just not common. So is it real or not?"

"It's kind of real. My last name's _Puck_erman. I think you can see where it comes from."

"So what's your actual name?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Just tell me. It can't be that bad."

"It's not bad, it's just boring. I don't like it."

She taps her fingers on the table expectantly. "Tell me."

He sighs. "Fine. It's Noah."

"Noah." She smiles. "That's cute. Doesn't really seem to fit you, though."

"It doesn't," he agrees. "I've always thought that. Noah's a cute name, just like you said. But that's not me." He scrunches up his face. "I'm a _badass_, not _cute_."

She sends him a playful smile. "I don't know, I'd say you're a little bit of both."

Puck leans forward, his lips twitching into that cocky smile of his. "I'm sorry - are you flirting with me?"

She immediately stiffens. "No."

"Don't lie. I can see right through you. You were totally flirting with me."

She rolls her eyes and, feeling oddly self-conscious, focuses on anything but him.

"So you like me, huh?"

"No, I don't. Now do yourself a favor and stop talking or I'll change my mind about this whole thing."

"What whole thing? You haven't told me anything yet. All you've done is bother me about my name."

She takes a long breath, knowing that after she comes out with it, she won't be able to take it back. Still, she feels like this is her best option (best being a very loose term). She puts her hands on the table, a business-like manner taking over.

"I need a roommate," she says.

For once, Puck doesn't seem to have a retort. He sits there, a barrage of different looks crossing his face (surprise and confusion mostly, but a hint of amusement and curiosity are there too). She takes his silence as her cue to explain.

"My old roommate got engaged a while ago and decided to move in with her fiancé. She has been gone for a few months now and I've come to realize that I can't handle the rent on my own. I could ask my parents for help, but I really don't want to ask them for more help than they're already giving, since they already pay a small portion of my rent, not to mention they're paying for my school. So my only option now is to find another roommate. None of my other friends need a place, so it's either you or a complete stranger. And I really don't want someone I've never met before moving in with me, so..."

"I was a complete stranger to you a few weeks ago," he says evenly. He seems to be getting over his surprise and now seems simply curious.

"I know, but you're not now."

"That's true, I guess." He's quiet again for a few moments before speaking. "I've gotta say, I'm surprised. I thought I really annoyed you."

"Well, you do, but like I said, you're not a stranger. Or Rachel's cousin. That's really all that matters to me."

He looks confused. "Rachel's cousin?"

She waves it off. "Never mind."

"Well," he says reasonably, "I can't say yes until you tell me how much I've got to pay. I'm not exactly in the best financial place right now."

"How much _can_ you pay?"

He thinks for a minute. "No more than a 1000 a month."

She does some math in her head and finds his answer reasonable. "That's actually fine. The rent's $2800 a month and with my parents help I can cover the $1800. What were you paying at your old place?"

"1500. I paid way too much for it too. It was nice, but not nice enough for me to spend practically all my money on it."

"So," she says, "are you saying yes?"

"Depends. Do you _really_ want me to? Because I don't want to, like...make you uncomfortable or anything."

She looks at him weirdly. "You don't make me uncomfortable."

"Well, I don't live with you now," he says, grinning at her. "But have you ever lived with a guy before?"

"No. But as long as you don't bring a bunch of girls home or walk in on me naked, it's not a big deal." She sees the way his eyes glaze over and, already knowing what he's doing, she kicks him in the leg. "Don't picture me naked."

"Sorry," he says, laughing lightly. "See, this is what I'm worried about. You're a beautiful girl, and I'm obviously a good looking dude. I mean, the sexual tension between us is already off the charts. Imagine how much worse it'll be if we _live _together. We won't be able to help ourselves."

"_You_ might not be able to help yourself, but _I _will have absolutely no problem."

Puck's eyes narrow. "Why? Are you a lesbian?"

She rolls her eyes. Of course he would come to that conclusion. "_No_, Puck. I just don't date. I haven't since high school. I promised myself I'd wait until I graduated college until I started dating again. I don't need the drama in my life right now."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly asking to date you. I'm just asking to fu-"

"_Puck_!"

"What? I'm just being honest. I want you to know what you're getting into. I'm attracted to you, Quinn, and I'd very much like to sleep with you."

Quinn honestly isn't very surprised by Puck's revelation (she's actually quite pleased that he's at least telling her the truth from the get go), so she lets his crude comments slide with a wave of her hand, signaling the end of this conversation.

"It's not happening, Puck, so you should just get that idea out of your mind."

"We'll see about that." He straightens up slightly as she glares intensely at him. "Alright, now that that's out in the open, do you _still_want me to move in?"

She has to think for a moment, but she already knows that she's not going to back out now. It's nice that he's giving her the opportunity to, but she really does need a roommate and she needs one soon. Plus, looking past some of his more arrogant and crude qualities, she actually kind of likes being around Puck. He's fun, very easy to talk to, and although she hates to admit it, he's somewhat charming - in his own special way, that is.

"Call me crazy, but yes, I do."

Puck goes back to looking surprised before shrugging lightly. "Alright then. You've got a deal."

She smiles in relief (though she doesn't quite understand the relief part), and nods. "I'm glad."

"Really?"

"Really."

He grins. "Me too. So when can I move in?"

"As soon as tomorrow, if you'd like."

He nods slowly. "Sounds good to me." Then he leans across the table and his mischievous eyes meet hers. "Well, Quinn, all I can say is this going to be _quite_ the adventure."

She can't say she disagrees with him there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter should be up within the next three or four days. I would post it sooner, but I'm trying to pace out the chapters so that I can finish the whole story before I catch up to what I'm posting on here. But who knows, if I get as great a response as I did last chapter I might post it early just to reward you all for being so awesome ;)**


	3. I Can't Lie

**A/N: You guys continue to amaze me - the response to last chapter was more than I hoped for. Thank you _so _much to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate each and every one.**

**I was actually planning on posting this yesterday, but life got in the way. I hope this chapter will make up for the wait!**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by Maroon 5.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: <em>I Can't Lie<em>**

_I can't lie, you're on my mind, stuck inside my head__  
><em>_I wanna feel your heart beat for me instead__  
><em>_I just died so much inside now that you're not there__  
><em>_I wanna feel your heart beat like yesterday_

"I really can't believe it," Artie says as he helps Puck unpack the few boxes he had taken with him to Quinn's. It was an easy move, since he had no furniture (he sold it all when he lost his old apartment and ended up giving a lot of the money he made to Artie, to pay him back for giving him a place to live for two weeks). "I mean, seriously, how in the world do you get a girl of _that_ caliber to let you live with her?"

"Artie, please. You act like I'm out of her league or something. And keep it down. I don't want her hearing us talking about her."

Currently, Quinn is in the kitchen getting acquainted with Tina, who's helping Quinn make dinner. Puck is more than impressed with his new living conditions. Not only does his roommate supposedly love to cook, but the actual apartment is really spacey, something he's never been used to, even at the house he grew up in back in Philadelphia. The living room is big enough for a couch, a very comfortable reclining chair, a big screen TV, a large coffee table, and room to spare for even more. The kitchen is fairly small, but that doesn't bother him because he doesn't cook much. The bathroom isn't too big either, but once again that doesn't bother him. It's Quinn, he imagines, who doesn't like it so much.

But it's his new bedroom that he loves the most, or rather the fact that he _has _his own room, since he hasn't had his own room in the three years he's lived in New York. It'll be nice to have a place where he can just be alone. The actual building is great too. It's in short walking distance of his work, as well as the Starbucks Quinn works at, and it's not far from Artie and Tina's either. All in all, this place is a win-win for him.

Artie's voice takes on a whisper. "Look, I love you, man, but you kind of _are_ out of her league. Do you see this place? The furniture, the decor? She's totally rich."

"No, her _parents_ are rich. There's a difference. And what are you saying? I can't go out with rich girls?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. You can, it's just that a girl with rich parents tends to like rich boys. It's not your fault they're shallow like that."

"Quinn's different," Puck say, and he firmly believes that. "She wouldn't have asked me to live with her if she cared about money."

"I guess. But did you see that huge picture of Jesus out in the living room. The girl's obviously a devout Christian. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just that you're Jewish and..."

Puck's getting tired of Artie pointing out matters that really don't relate to his situation right now. Maybe if he and Quinn were actually dating this would all be an issue, but they're not.

"Yeah, I know, she already told me she's a Christian and she knows I'm Jewish. She doesn't care. It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like we're dating. We're just roommates."

"Yeah, I guess…"

He hands Puck a pile of clothes, which Puck lazily throws into the small drawer that came with the room (another thing he greatly appreciated - Quinn's old roommate had left behind her bed and drawer, as well as an old desk in the corner, which he'll never use, but still).

"Sorry, Puck. I know I'm not being very supportive. I actually do really like Quinn. She seems great. It's just the situation is so...strange."

"What's strange is that she actually is letting me live with her. I mean, look at this place! I'm one lucky dude."

"You really are," Artie says with a chuckle. "So are we about done here?"

Puck glances around quickly and nods. "Yeah, I think so. You heading out? Because I think Quinn's expecting you to stay for dinner."

"I know, and I'd love to, but I've got a huge test in two days and I haven't had any time to study lately, so I really should cram tonight."

"It' okay. I get it." Puck grins. "Come on, I'll roll you out."

After Artie and Tina say their goodbyes, Puck joins Quinn in the kitchen. He sits at the table, watching her cook, and strangely she doesn't seem to mind. She glances over at him as she stirs something on the stove.

"Tina's really sweet," Quinn remarks.

"She's pretty cool," he agrees.

"Artie's really nice too."

"Yeah, he's been my main bro since he started tutoring me junior year of high school. Believe it or not, before we were friends, I used to lock him in port-o-potties and then push it over."

"That's horrible!"

"Yeah," he says in a fond sort of way, "I used to be a punk."

"That's an understatement. So _how_ exactly did you end up with such great friends? Because you don't seem much better today."

He grins. "Oh, come on, Quinn, we were going so long without any insults. Seriously, it's been like an hour. That's gotta be a record."

"I can't help myself" she says, grinning as she looks down at the bowl in her arms. "You're such an easy target."

"So are you, believe it or not." He stands up and goes to check out what she's making, but she quickly swats him away. "I won't touch anything! Promise."

"I don't buy that for a second. Sit back down. I don't want you ruining my food."

"Fine." He fakes a pout as he plops back into the chair. "What are you making anyway?"

"Nothing special. Just spaghetti."

"What's all that then?" he asks, pointing to the big bag of flour and sugar off to her side, then to the mixing bowl in her arms.

"This," she says, a big grin coming to her face, "is the special stuff. I'm a decent cook, but what I really love to do is bake. Especially desserts. And I'm pretty great at it, if I do say so myself."

Now he's _really _impressed. Unable to help himself, he stands up again and wanders over to her baking station. It looks like she's making more than one thing, as there's a bowl full of a chocolate mix, and on the cutting board is what looks like plain dough.

"So am I gonna gain a ton of weight while living here?"

"I would expect so, yes." She smirks over at him. "It's unfortunate, really, because I don't think you'll make a very attractive fat man."

"How sweet of you to say."

He attempts to dip a finger into the chocolate mix, but she grabs his hand before he can get within even a food of it.

"What did I say about touching?"

"Uh...I don't remember?"

She rolls her eyes and pushes him back towards the table, but he doesn't sit down again. He's too curious now.

"So what desserts are on the menu then?" he asks.

"Well, I decided to go along with the season and make a maple pumpkin soufflé. That's already in the oven, since it takes a little bit longer than the others. These," she says, motioning towards the dough, "are just going to be cinnamon scones. And if you're not a fan of either of those, I'm making a chocolate cake too."

For a moment, he's literally speechless. He has hit the jackpot. Seriously, this girl is amazing.

"I...I think I'm in love with you."

She rolls her eyes. "Don't get used to me going all out like this all the time. I don't normally have such a large menu of desserts. Also, since I did the cooking tonight, you get to do the dishes. It's only fair."

"Quinn, doing the dishes is the _least _I could do to repay you for, well, everything." He takes a few steps towards her and puts a gentle hand on her arm. "Seriously, thank you for this. For inviting me to stay here with you even though I annoy the hell out of you."

She wears a small smile as she looks down at the floor and he can tell she's embarrassed.

"You don't annoy me _that _much," she says as she peeks back up at him.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, you _used _to, but I've now learned to accept that it's just who you are."

He looks softly down at her, noticing now that her face is only a few inches away. He moves his hand up to graze her cheek. For a small moment, his eyes meet hers and he's leaning down, preparing himself for a kiss - and then her hands clasped around his own and she's giving him a warning look.

She repeats her words from earlier. "What did I say about touching?"

"But that was about food," he says, grinning down at her.

"It applies to me too. Now go sit down."

She gives him a look that's supposed to be stern, but just ends up making him smile as he does as she orders. As much as he hates the break in the little moment they were having, he knows it's probably for the best. He doesn't need to complicate things on the first day he's living here. From his position at the table, he watches as she reaches up and pulls a pan off the top of the fridge. She picks something out of it and hands it to him. To his enormous delight, he finds in his hand the most delicious looking brownies he's ever seen.

"Something to hold you over," she says.

He just shakes his head. "You are an incredibly amazing woman, do you know that?"

"I'm aware."

He takes one bite of the brownie and is in heaven. "Holy shit, this is good."

She looks at him like it's the most obvious thing in the world. He takes another bite and then another until it's all gone and he's feeling incredibly sad at the loss of it.

"Seriously, you should like open your own bakery, because that right there was like...orgasmic."

She rolls her eyes at his last comment, but her reply is a pleasant surprise. "It's funny you say that, actually. Opening my own bakery is kind of my dream. Of course, my parents would never approve. Well, my dad wouldn't. My mom might, since she taught me almost everything I know. But my dad...no, definitely not."

"Why? He'd rather you do what every other person does and work some boring office job? Where's the fun in that?"

"My dad doesn't care about fun," she says, and her face contorts bitterly. "Not for me at least. You'd see that if you met him, and trust me, you _don't _want to meet him. Don't get me wrong, I love him, I do, but he's..."

"Strict?"

"More like _really _judgmental against anyone who don't meet his standards."

Puck wears a knowing grin. "And let me guess, I don't meet them."

"No." She smiles softly as her eyes focus on the bowl of spaghetti she's stirring. "But don't feel bad. There's very few people in the world who do. He's a very hard man to please."

"I bet he's happy that you're working at Starbucks then."

"Oh, he doesn't approve at all. He has nothing against the place, it's just that he'd rather me not work at all. He's always telling me there's no point, that with my trust fund I have more than enough money to take care of me, and instead I should just focus on school. But I just can't do that. I mean, I'm twenty-two years old. I'm an adult. I shouldn't have to rely on my parents for money; I should be earning my own. You don't know how hard it is for me to deposit the check my parents give me each month. Even though I make most of my money, I just feel like I still depend on them so much. That's why I needed a roommate. I couldn't ask them for more help, not because I didn't want to be a burden to them, but because it would literally be a burden for me."

He sits there for a moment, taking in her words, and comes to the quick conclusion that she truly is one remarkable person. He's observed many people with very wealthy parents, breezing through life, not ever having to worry about whether or not they'd have to make this month's rent - not having to worry about money at all. And to be honest, if he was in their position, he would probably be the same way. But here's Quinn, whose parents want nothing more than to feed her money, and she would rather get her own job, pay her own rent and her own bills, and the only reason she's accepting some of their money in the first place is because her job doesn't pay very well. It's crazy, but at the same time a sign of responsibility that not many people their age show.

"Quinn, you're incredible. Seriously."

She smiles over at him as she cuts again into the brownie pan, and, as if to prove his point, hands him another one.

"I'm far from incredible. You of all people can see that I'm kind of a..."

He speaks through the practically whole brownie in his mouth. "Bitch?"

"To put it loosely."

"I like that about you, though. You'd be boring if you were perfect. Plus, I like that you don't take anyone's crap. I need a woman like that in my life, since my mom tends to spoil me to death."

She looks at him with a wry smile. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

He laughs. "I think it's probably that stereotypical Jewish mama's boy thing."

"Could be that," she says, laughing along with him.

"It's kind of true, though. Most of the time, at least."

"And how does she feel about this whole roommate thing?"

"She doesn't mind. She just wants what's best for me. It did help when I told her you were a prude Christian girl who doesn't date."

Quinn turns from the stove to glare at him. "I'm not a prude."

"I think it's obvious that you are. I mean, how many girls your age don't date?"

"Plenty. It's not uncommon at all."

"Okay, let me rephrase. How many girls your age actually _choose _not to date?"

She grits her teeth as she begins roughly rolling out the dough for the scones. "There's nothing wrong with not wanting to be in a relationship, Puck."

"I'm not denying that. See, I have absolutely no desire to be in a relationship either. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna go out and sleep with any hot girl I can get."

"_Excuse_ me for not wanting to be a slut like you."

He laughs. "I'm not a slut, Quinn, I'm just having fun.

Puck can tell he's really rustling her feathers now. He should probably stop, but he can't help it. Quinn's too uptight for someone their age. She needs to learn to loosen up once and awhile and he is taking it upon himself to be the one to help her do just that.

"Well, sleeping around isn't what I would call fun. Sex is supposed something sacred, Puck. It's supposed to between two people who love each other, and who are preferably also married."

"Oh, no," Puck says, shaking his head as he holds back a grin. "You're one of those sex is for marriage Christians, aren't you?"

She scowls over at him. "Don't act so surprised. It's amazing how people seem to think it's a sin for people to think that these days."

"It's not a sin. It's just weird."

"To you, but not to me." She isn't looking at him, her jaw clenched as she focuses on stirring the spaghetti sauce. He can tell that his teasing her about this particular belief of hers is not a good idea. Now he just feels bad.

"Look, Quinn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you-"

"You didn't offend me," she quickly cuts in. "It's just something that I believe, something personal to me, and I don't expect you to understand it. Besides, it's just as wrong for me to criticize you for believing what you do." Her voice is soft now. The anger has quickly dissolved. He's incredibly relieved; Quinn is kind of scary when she's angry.

"So you're not mad at me?"

She smiles. "I think I'll always be mad at you for something, Puck."

"Yeah." And, as if to prove her point, he proceeds to make his way over to the mixing bowl on the counter and dips a finger into it. He grins in triumph as he eagerly licks it up, earning him a hard glare. "You probably will be."

**888**

Dinner is almost ready when there is a knock on the door. Quinn smirks as she sets the plate on the table. She's positive she knows who it is. Puck, who is now sitting in the living room trying to set up his X-Box, watches curiously as she goes to answer it.

"Hello, Rachel," Quinn says as the door swings open.

Rachel was supposed to be at rehearsal for another few hours tonight, but Quinn knew she would end up finding a way out of it, and it seems she had. When Quinn called her last night to tell her that she found a new roommate and he was none other than the guy from Starbucks, Rachel had been itching to meet him. She's actually a little surprised that Rachel hadn't shown up sooner.

Finn is also with Rachel, which Quinn thinks is a good thing, since she's sure he and Puck will get along. Like Puck, Finn is a video game fanatic. He's also a drummer and singer, which Quinn is certain will break the ice if nothing else does.

"I got out of rehearsal early," Rachel says, answering Quinn's unasked question.

Never one to be subtle, she keeps peeking over Quinn's shoulder to get a good look at Puck. Finn stands next to her, looking slightly anxious.

"Hey, Quinn," Finn says so quietly it's almost a whisper, "do you really thinks this whole thing's a good idea? I mean, how much do you know about this guy?"

"I know enough," Quinn says. She's grateful for Finn's brotherly concern, but she hopes that he won't bring it out in front of Puck. She gives Finn a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. Puck's harmless."

"Is he here?" Rachel asks. She can't seem to see around Quinn.

"He's here. He's in the living room, and I'm just finishing up dinner."

"Awww, you made him dinner?" Rachel says this as if it's the most adorable thing in the world.

"Rachel," Quinn says warningly.

Rachel had bothered her again last night about the supposed chemistry that Rachel had seen between them at Starbucks, and Rachel now seems convinced that something is bound to happen.

Rachel just shrugs. "Are you going to invite us in or not?"

Quinn isn't sure she wants to if Rachel is going to act like this and therefore risk embarrassing her, but at this point she doesn't have a choice.

"Yeah. I've got enough food, so you can eat with us if you want."

"Ooh, I want," Finn says, now looking extremely happy at the mention of food.

Quinn lets them both in, feeling slightly awkward as she leads them into the living room where Puck is waiting. He stands up to greet them, the essence of a polite gentlemen. She can't help but smirk at how weird it is seeing him _not _act like the smartass he really is.

"Rachel and Finn, this is Puck. Puck, these are my two best friends, Rachel and Finn."

"Nice to meet you," Puck says, shaking Finn's hand and smiling warmly at Rachel.

"Same here," Finn says, smiling politely, although Quinn notices that Finn's grip on Puck's hand seems particularly tight.

"I saw you with Quinn yesterday, didn't I?" Puck asks, directing his focus on Rachel.

"You certainly did," Rachel says a bit too excitedly.

An awkward silence begins to take over, which Quinn quickly breaks. "The food's ready, if you guys want to eat."

They all follow her into kitchen and it isn't long before Rachel's taken hold of the conversation. She ends up asking Puck about his music and he tells her that he's been singing for most of his life. He had a band back in high school, but most of them ended up going in different directions for college, so they were forced to break up. Rachel then brings up that Finn plays the drums, which leads to the bonding that Quinn knew was bound to happen.

As Puck and Finn get lost in talk of different bands, Rachel turns to Quinn. "Puck's so sweet."

Quinn snorts. "Yeah, he has this amazing ability to go from super charming to super annoying in about two seconds."

Rachel wears a knowing smile as she leans in to whisper in Quinn's ear. "You're totally into him."

Quinn just sighs. Rachel, the hopeless romantic, has known about Puck for all of twenty-four hours and she's already told Quinn this same thing at least two other times. Quinn is tempted to not even grace Rachel with a response, but then she realizes that Rachel will take no answer as a positive and so she quietly counters.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this - I'm _not_."

Rachel doesn't seem to believe her and she's just about to open her mouth with a retort when Puck's loud laugh interrupts.

"You were in a _glee _club?"

It's amazing how fast Rachel Berry's persona can change. She goes from marveling over how amazing Puck is for Quinn to glaring at him like he's public enemy number one all within the time it takes to blink. It takes all Quinn has not to burst out in laughter.

"Are you insinuating that there's something funny about being in a glee club, Puck?" Rachel asks.

Puck doesn't seem to be afraid of her. "Well, for a certain type of person, no, but for others..." He looks at Finn, who doesn't really seem bothered by Puck's reaction. Rachel, on the other hand, looks on the verge of throwing something.

"It was kind of lame sometimes," Finn says. "And I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't exactly thrilled to be a part of it at first. But as time went on, I grew to love it." He looks at Rachel and Quinn. "We all did."

Puck's eyes widen as he turns to look at Quinn. "Wait, _you _were in the club too?"

Quinn sighs, preparing herself for the teasing to come. "Yes."

Puck doesn't laugh though. Instead, he looks oddly intrigued. "So you sing?"

"Well, you can't be in _my_ glee club and not be able to sing," Rachel says, and by her sarcastic tone it's obvious that she no longer feels the way she did about Puck that she did only a minute earlier. She continues, grumbling, "I can't speak for other glee clubs. It seems like they'll let anyone in these days."

Puck ignores Rachel's remarks, focusing solely on Quinn. "You've been holding out on me."

"We've known each other for two weeks. How can I possibly have been holding out on you?"

"Because you know I sing. And apparently you do too. It's something we have in common - something you might bring up in a lagging conversation when you're trying to fill the silence."

"We haven't had any _lagging _conversations, Puck."

"Whatever." He was looking at her with scheming eyes. "Now that I know this secret you should join me out on the streets someday. I bet I can make _triple _the money with a hottie like you harmonizing by my side."

She sighs irritably. "Puck, I'm _not_ singing with you," she says very firmly, so he won't get the wrong idea. She hasn't sung much since high school, mostly because she had no reason to. But she certainly isn't going to start again just to sing out on a street corner. No way.

"Well, fine. You don't have to sing in public with me. But you've got to at least let me hear what you've got. You owe me that."

"I don't owe you anything," Quinn says. "If anything, _you _owe me. I'm giving you a place to live. I'm _feeding _you."

"True. But I never asked you to do any of that."

Quinn turns to Rachel for support, but unfortunately Rachel's just beaming at her in that annoying "you belong together" way she had earlier; apparently she has already forgotten everything Puck said about glee club.

Quinn glances over at Finn, who's watching them both with an amused look on his face. Quinn's eyes meet Finn's in a stony glare. If she can't have Rachel's support, then she needs to make sure she at least has Finn's. At first Finn just stares back at her, confused, but a second later he seems to get the message.

"Hey, uh." Finn clears his throat as he turns to Puck. "How about you show me what you can do on the guitar?"

Puck looks pleased at this idea and a few moments he and Finn have disappeared into his room. Quinn stands up to start clearing the plates just as Rachel opens her mouth to tell Quinn exactly what she's thinking - and those are thoughts that Quinn can do without, as she's sure she has already heard them all before.

"Rachel, shut up."

"I haven't even said anything."

Quinn moves over to the sink and begins working on the dishes. It's not even a second later when she feels Rachel's presence beside her. Frowning, she turns to look at her best friend. She's surprised to see that Rachel looks apologetic.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been pushy about Puck." She takes a few plates from Quinn and loads them into the dishwasher. "I just want you to be happy. And you've been alone for too long."

"I've been alone for three years," Quinn says evenly, "and that was my choice. You know my no dating until after college rule."

"But what if you found a guy that was worth breaking that rule?"

Quinn shrugs. "I haven't."

Rachel wears a frustrated frown as she continues loading dishes. "But Puck-"

"Is not the type of guy I'd break my rule for," Quinn finishes for her. "You don't know him, Rachel. We're different people, with a different set of beliefs and values. We wouldn't work."

"You don't know that."

"Rachel, I really don't want to argue about this anymore. I know you just want me to be happy, but I _am_, and I certainly don't need a guy to be. So please just support me on this, okay?"

"Okay." Rachel smiles at her as she closes the dishwasher. "I'm sorry," she says again. "I just can't help it. I'm a romantic at heart, you know."

"Oh, I know."

Quinn thinks back to the countless times Rachel has tried to set up her friends. Only a few of those couplings had actually been successful, but apparently that was enough for Rachel to fancy herself New York's greatest matchmaker.

Rachel starts up again, but this time she's changing her tune. "You know, maybe he _isn't _good for you. I mean, the way he was talking about glee..."

She glares scornfully down at the glass she's holding and starts rambling on about how glee club isn't anything to make fun of and not only does Puck have no idea what he's talking about, but he also clearly has no taste considering the bands he kept raving about to Finn.

Meanwhile, Quinn listens with an amused smile. After all, berating Puck has become one of her newest favorite past times.

**888**

Puck is in the middle of singing his acoustic version of one of his all-time favorite songs ("Shook Me All Night Long", classic AC/DC, he has sung it countless time in bars and it always seems to be the one that gets him the girl at the end of the night), when Finn so rudely interrupts.

"So there's nothing, like, going on with you and Quinn, right? You're just roommates?"

"Dude, I was getting to the best part!"

"Yeah, no offense, but I was getting kind of uncomfortable, seeing as you're singing that _you shook me all night long_ and all. It's weird." Finn offers him a grin. "I mean, we just met, man. It's kind of too soon, you know?"

Puck grimaces. "And you've now ruined the song for me. Thank you very much."

"Can't say I'm sorry about that. I never liked AC/DC."

Puck stares at him with grim eyes. "Alright, maybe this newfound friendship isn't gonna work after all. I think you should go, Finn."

"Seriously." Finn takes a seat next to Puck on the bed and looks at him anxiously. "You're not into her, right?"

Puck sets his guitar down and looks at Finn curiously. "Why? Are you?"

Finn just laughs. "No way. I mean, we dated back in high school, but it was kind of a disaster. It's just that we're still pretty close as friends, and I don't want to see her hurt. Don't get me wrong, you seem like a good guy, it's just that she's kind of…"

"Innocent?"

"Well, yeah, I guess if you want to put it that way. Look, I just think you're a little too much for her and I guess..."

Puck gets what Finn's trying to say. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. Finn barely knows Puck but he's already read him perfectly. He sees that Puck isn't exactly boyfriend material, and Puck won't even deny that he's wrong there.

"I get it, man," Puck says. "And don't worry, nothing's going to happen between us. I mean, I can't lie, I like her a lot. But I'm not a one girl type of guy. Not right now. And we both know that she deserves no less than a guy who's going to be completely devoted to her."

Finn looks relieved at Puck's words. He swats Puck's back with one hand and sends him a grin. "Good to hear."

Puck just nods, forcing a small smile. Truthfully, he wishes he were wrong about himself, that he could be a one-woman kind of guy, that he could be good enough for someone like Quinn. And it's funny because he's never wished that before. He's always been happy being single, enjoying the freedom that bachelorhood gave him. Until now. And it's kind of freaking him out.

"So, listen," Finn says, thankfully drawing him out of his thoughts, "my buddy Sam and I have been thinking about starting a band for a few years now, but we've never really had enough people to get started. You mentioned you have friend that plays the bass, and you play the guitar, so..."

Puck grins. "You asking me to join?"

"If you want," Finn says with a shrug. "It could be fun."

"Yeah, it could," Puck says thoughtfully.

He had been in a few bands before. He and Artie had started one back in high school, but they'd broken up pretty fast (probably because Puck had slept with the drummer's girlfriend). Then there's the one he and Artie started a few years ago, with this guy that Puck had worked with at the guitar shop. But then the douchebag had to go steal a car and get arrested and they were left with just a guitar player and a bassist once more. So, needless to say, his luck with bands isn't the greatest. Now, though, he sees a lot of potential in Finn.

He nods approvingly as he looks at Finn. "Sure, I'm in. And I'm sure Artie will be too."

Finn breaks into a wide smile. "You know, Puck, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was in a way an introduction to this AU universe – kind of filling in the blanks for how this world is different than the canon universe. It was also important to see how Puck and Quinn differ in their beliefs and views, because that will set up things for later on. Next chapter is where the drama really starts. **

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I know it won't be too long. I'm getting kind of close to catching up to myself (I've written about six chapters so far), so I want to give myself time to write in between updates. Because if I do catch up to myself then the waits in between updates are going to be more like a couple of weeks rather than just a couple of days – and I **_**know **_**you guys don't want that, and I don't want it either. So I'll probably wait another three or four days, but no longer than that.**

**Leave a review if you can – I'd really like to know what you thought!**


	4. The Listening

**A/N: We're going to take another big time leap in this chapter, as you'll notice right off the bat. As I've gone through the chapters, I realized that from this point on the story tends to move at a pretty fast pace (meaning a lot of time jumps). It doesn't really bother me, as I hate dragging things out, but if anyone feels like it's moving too fast, let me know and I'll see if I can do anything about it.**

**As you'll notice, this chapter contains a familiar Quick moment from the show. I just couldn't resist writing it in. I plan on incorporating some other Quick moments from the show into the story as well, because I like to think that even in an alternate universe, some things are just inevitable between these two.**

**This chapter's title and lyrics are from a song by Lights.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: <em>The Listening<em>**

_I never really ever know what to say__  
><em>_When I let my emotions get in the way__  
><em>_And I'm just trying to get us on the same page__  
><em>_I always get it better right afterwards__  
><em>_When all the wrong impressions are said and heard__  
><em>_How come I can never get the right words__  
><em>_I need to convey, wish I could explain_

In the almost four months since moving in with Quinn, Puck's life has taken an upward turn. He and Finn have officially started their band (currently nameless, because all the names they came up with were incredibly lame). Artie is their bassist while Finn's friend Sam is the backup guitarist to Puck's lead. And just yesterday, Puck managed to book them their first gig. It's nothing special, just a small club in Brooklyn, and it's not paying, but it's something.

The band is also something that manages to fill his increasingly empty schedule. His hours at work continue to dwindle, something that should worry him more than it does, because if he's not working enough hours, he's not making enough money to pay his rent. But if he focuses on that, he'll go crazy. And besides, it's just a slow season right now. Things will pick up soon. They always do.

As for Quinn, Puck can't complain. They've grown to be pretty good friends over their time living together, something that Puck is still trying to adjust to. He's never really been friends with a girl before. It was hard at first, seeing as he still very much wanted to sleep with her, but over time he realized that it just wasn't going to happen. In the end, he came to the conclusion that he had grown very attached to her, and so if he couldn't sleep with her, he at least wanted to be friends. It wasn't a very fun conclusion to come to, but he understands that it's all he can have right now.

On the night of the band gig, Puck observes himself in the mirror. "Looking good, as always," he says with a grin.

He is going to get a lot of attention from the ladies tonight, that's for sure. That's the great thing about being in a band with guys that are either married or in a relationship. Artie's got Tina, Finn's got Rachel, and Sam is currently dating his on-again-off-again girlfriend Santana, meaning Puck's the only one who the girls can come running to after the show - just another reason for him to feel incredibly fortunate.

As he opens the door and walks into the living room, a waft of the most delicious smell hits him right in the face. He grins; Quinn's baking again.

God, does he love this woman.

"Something smells good," he says as he wanders into the kitchen.

Quinn doesn't turn to look at him; she's too focused on the cake she's currently frosting. German chocolate, his favorite. There's also two tray's full of an assortment of cupcakes, and by the looks of the huge mixing bowl on the table, she's making more. He smiles and dips a finger into a bowl of homemade vanilla frosting.

"Are you making this all for me?"

As if she can sense his actions, she turns around and grabs his hand before he can successfully lick away the frosting. "Don't even dare."

He raises an eyebrow at the serious tone of her voice. "It's already on the finger, Quinn. The damage is done."

She just lets out a frustrated sigh before releasing his hand and moving back to the cake. "Don't do it again, Puck. This food isn't for us."

He licks the frosting away and asks, "Who's it for then?"

"A friend I go to school with is getting married. She mentioned today that the catering company that was doing the desserts for her engagement party dropped out at the last minute, and that she was in desperate need for some cheap catering. So, since I could use the extra cash, I offered."

Puck leans against the table, eying the desserts lustfully. He wonders if she'll have any extra to keep here. "That's pretty great."

"It is," Quinn says. "It's also really short notice, which is nobody's fault. It just means I've got to work extra hard to get this all done by tomorrow night."

"I'm guessing that means you won't be making the show tonight then?"

She wears an apologetic smile as she looks over at him. "No. I'm sorry. I'll definitely be at the next one, though."

"It's okay," he says with a shrug.

Truthfully, he's kind of relieved. He's counting on leaving with a girl tonight and with Quinn there, he feels he'd be spending most of the night wanting her rather than the girls he actually stands a chance with.

"Do you need any help?" he asks, because it looks like she still has a ton of work ahead of her and he feels bad about leaving her alone to do all of it when she clearly can use some help.

"Don't you have to get going?"

"I've got an hour to go. Besides, Finn's picking me up, so I've got to wait here anyway."

"Well, I guess if you can keep yourself from picking at anything, then you can help."

He smiles mischievously as he eyes the chocolate cake. "As I always say, I can't promise anything, babe."

"Then let me put it this way. You eat, you die."

He sighs dramatically. "Oh, fine, I promise I won't eat anything."

She gives him a stern look before assigning him to making some more cake batter. "Make sure you follow the directions word for word. I can't afford you to mess any of this up."

He looks down at the cake recipe and holds back a laugh; he doesn't think he's ever seen something so neatly written.

"Geez, I can't understand _any_ of your writing, Quinn." She looks at him, offended, and he lets out the laugh. "Relax, I'm kidding. I don't think anyone could write any neater. I don't think a _computer_ could."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "I didn't realize neat writing was a crime."

"No, it's not. It's actually kind of adorable. Even in your writing, you're a compulsive neat freak."

He sees a small smile cross her face and he grins in triumph. He doesn't know why, but he absolutely loves making her smile. Maybe it's because she doesn't do it that often. Even at work, when she greets the customers, it's with a forced, obligatory smile. And often times with him, she's too busy rolling her eyes or making fun of him to give a real, genuine smile. So when she actually does - and better yet, when _he's _the cause of it - he can't help but revel in the pure beauty of it, all the while feeling immensely proud that he's the one behind it.

They continue their tasks in a comfortable silence, but after a few minutes he gets bored. Unable to help himself, he keeps glancing over at her, smiling at the way she's so intensely focused on what she's doing. He's realized lately that he stares at her a lot. It's become one of his favorite things to do since moving in. Sometimes it makes him feel like a stalker, but he can't help it. Quinn Fabray is a very fascinating specimen. Eventually his focus moves entirely onto her, and he doesn't even realize that he's dropped the egg he was holding until it hits the hardwood with a splattering thud.

"Puck!"

He smiles guiltily. "Oops."

She scoffs as she hands him a rag. "You're such an egghead."

He chuckles as he bends down to clean up the mess. "I am not."

When he stands up, she's leaning against the counter, arms crossed in way that's supposed to look stern and authoritative, but really just makes her look all the more adorable. She's wearing a smirk that he wants nothing more than to kiss away.

Then, to his immense surprise, she takes another egg and cracks it over his head. "Yes, you are."

His mouth hangs open for a moment, stunned at her playful move. But then he's grinning, his gaze zooming in on the bowl full of flour sitting just inches away from him. And, before either can say anything, he has grabbed a handful and thrown it right at her.

She gasps in surprise as the flour hits her, and he wonders for a second if this was a good idea. She's a very small girl, but she could very well knock him out if she wanted to. But then, to his delight, her lips twitch into the biggest smile he's ever seen on her and she's grabbing the flour and throwing it right back.

"That was perfectly measured!"

And then they're in a full-blown food fight and he doesn't think he's ever seen her so loose, so carefree, so _happy_.

They're only inches apart now. His hand brushes against her arm as he releases a flurry of baking powder over her head, and suddenly he feels himself stopping. She stops too. His eyes are locked on her face as he drops the baking powder box back onto the counter. He moves his hand to wipe some flour from her hair, all the while thinking that this is it. He's finally going to kiss her. And from the way she's looking at him, that soft, _real _smile on her face, he thinks she's actually going to let him.

But all good moments must come to an end, and this is no exception. Just as he's about to close the distance between them, the door flings open and Finn is walking in, Sam following close behind.

"You guys should really lock your door," Finn remarks. His eyebrows rise curiously at the messy sight in front of them. "What are you doing?"

"We're baking," Quinn answers.

"Yeah." Finn wears an amused smile. "I can see that."

Puck swears inwardly as Quinn moves away from him and goes to grab the broom. She's going to avoid him now for sure.

"You're really early." Puck tries very hard to keep the annoyance from his voice, but from the look Finn gives him, he can tell he has failed.

"Just by like a half hour," Finn says as he and Sam walk into the kitchen. "And we still have to pick Artie up."

Sam smirks at Puck. "You have egg yolk on your head."

"I'm aware."

Finn holds back a laugh. "You should probably get yourself cleaned up. We'll help Quinn clean up in here."

Puck isn't sure how he feels about leaving Quinn alone with two of her ex-boyfriends (much to his displeasure, he had learned that Sam and Quinn dated for a few months in high school), but he's can't go on stage looking like this, so he nods in agreement

As he turns to leaves, he almost bumps into Quinn, who is distracting herself by sweeping the floor. Cheeks flushed red, she looks anywhere but him. He just gives her a crooked smile, sneakily brushing a hand against her arm as he walks past her.

He isn't sure what in the hell just happened between them, if it changes things, or if it was just some random moment of weakness for her, but he does know one thing – Finn and Sam are on his hit list for preventing him for figuring out the answer.

**888**

"Sorry we had to interrupt that tender moment," Finn says as they're heading to pick up Artie fifteen minutes later.

They're sitting in Sam's beat up black van, which Puck thinks will break down at any moment. Sam is driving, Finn in the passenger seat next to him, while Puck sits behind them. Puck can't tell if Finn is genuinely sorry or if he's just being sarcastic. He knows he had originally told Finn that he didn't plan on making moves on Quinn, so Finn must be kind of confused.

"It's probably for the best," Puck says, lying through his teeth. He really, _really _wanted to kiss her.

"You totally want her," Sam says, eyeing him teasingly from the rearview mirror.

"Well, yeah." Puck gives Finn a meaningful look. "But it's not gonna happen."

Finn looks at him seriously. "You know, it's okay if something does. As long as you're serious about a relationship."

"Yeah, well, I'm not."

He actually _could _be, but the thought of being in a real relationship still scares the hell out of him, so he doesn't want to risk the chance of jumping into one. Besides, Quinn is still enforcing her no-dating rule, so it's not like she'd agree to be with him anyway. So really, he has his answer about the almost-kiss. Nothing was going to come out of it. He and Quinn just wouldn't work right now. And that's probably a good thing.

He sighs irritably as he runs a hand along his mohawk. Tonight is supposed to be a fun night – a _simple _night. He's supposed to find the hottest girl in the club and make sure he goes home with her. A one-night stand. That's what he does. That's what he has _always _done.

And tonight, he decides, will be no exception.

**888**

It's almost midnight by the time Quinn is done for the night. She still has two dozen more cupcakes to make and the cake still has a lot of work that needs to be done, but she decides that she can finish the rest tomorrow.

Of course she would have been able to get a lot more done if she hadn't started that stupid food fight. What had she been thinking? It had been fun in the moment, but the end result left her regretting it. Not only had it created a huge mess, as well as a serious lack in her food supplies, but it had created a moment that she shouldn't have let happen.

He almost kissed her, and she would be lying if she said she hadn't wanted him to. She likes Puck, it's hard not to when she's around him all the time and he's just so damn charming, but she knows getting together would complicate things.

And yet she can't help but want it. Despite knowing that getting with him wouldn't be the smartest decision – her parents certainly wouldn't approve – she realizes that she hasn't felt this way about a guy in a very long time. In fact, she doesn't think she's _ever _felt this way about a guy.

As she settles herself into bed, her mind starts to wander into dangerous territory. What if she gave him a chance? If they tried things out, casually and slowly. Would it really be so bad? Maybe if she let him try, he could be a good boyfriend. And maybe, if she let _herself_ try, she could finally be truly happy.

She thinks about the moment back in the kitchen, how close he had been, how he had so gently ran his hand through her hair, and how he looked at her as if she were the only person in the world. Butterflies rage in her stomach as thinks of what it would have been like if Finn and Sam hadn't interrupted, if he'd actually kissed her. She's sure it would have been magical. She wouldn't have pushed him away, that's for sure. In fact, she isn't sure she would have been able to let him stop.

When she finally falls asleep, it's with his face in her mind and a small smile on her face.

**888**

Quinn wakes up the next morning in her usual groggy state. But then she remembers last night, and that now familiar smile creeps up again. She doesn't know what she's going to say to Puck when she sees him. She might just skip the speech and go straight to kissing him senseless. That would certainly make things easier.

She glances at the clock. It's nearly ten. She's sure that Puck will probably sleep in awhile longer; who knows how long he was out last night. As much as she wants to see him, she thinks it's for the best. She needs the time to continue her cooking for tonight.

Throwing on a sweatshirt and a pair of her old Cheerio sweats, she heads into the kitchen to get a start on things.

But it looks like someone is already there. She stops in her tracks, staring at the tall, beautiful blond stranger who is currently sniffing around the kitchen - and wearing next to nothing.

Quinn says the only the thing that comes to mind, "Hi."

The girl twists around at the sounds of Quinn's voice. Her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh, hi! I wasn't eating anything, I promise – just looking around."

"Oh." Quinn is too confused to say anything substantial.

"I'm Callie," the girl says, filling in the awkward silence.

"Quinn."

"You're Puck's roommate?"

"Yes."

Callie nods slowly, wearing an uncomfortable smile. "That's cool."

It's all starting to come to her. This girl came home with Puck. Even after what happened between them last night, he actually had the nerve to bring this girl back to _her _home and, better yet, have sex with her in the room _right_ next to her own.

Her throat starts to tighten up. She wants to cry. No, she wants to throw something. How could he do this do her? She thought that he wanted to be with her, but now it seems that all he really wants is to sleep with her. And it's probably all he _ever _wanted.

Just then, Puck himself appears, looking particularly cheerful. His eyes soften as he looks at Quinn. "Hey…" And then he sees Callie. His eyes narrow, a frown coming to his face. "What are you still doing here?"

Callie looks embarrassed. "I thought maybe we could-"

"You should go," he says, cutting her off.

"Oh." Quinn actually feels sorry for the girl. And that's saying something. "Okay. I'll just…get my clothes."

Quinn keeps her face neutral, not wanting to let him see how much this is hurting her, how much she _hates _him for making her think that he and her could actually work. He stares back at her, frown still in place, and she can see the guilt in his eyes. Does he actually feel bad?

Callie comes back out a few moments later, and she slips quietly past them both before disappearing out the door.

"That was kind of rude, don't you think?" Quinn says as the door slams. Puck just stares at her. "Seriously, she seemed like a nice girl. You didn't have to be so cold towards her."

She isn't sure why she's defending the girl who just had sex with the guy she wanted to be with (and who she thought wanted to be with her too). But it isn't the girl's fault. She couldn't have ever known. Puck, on the other hand, should have known. He shouldn't have wanted to sleep with anyone else besides Quinn - not if he really cared about her. And he shouldn't have actually _brought _the girl back to their apartment. That act in itself is the lowest of lows.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry."

Quinn grits her teeth, but still gives no sign of the devastation she is currently feeling. "You can do whatever you want, Puck. Sleep with whatever girl you want. It's your life. I really don't care. I'd just appreciate it you don't bring them over here."

With that, she turns and walks into the kitchen. She just can't look at him anymore. She feels tears springing up into her eyes, but fights them back down. Keeping her face as blank as possible, she starts working.

She doesn't expect him to go away, he wouldn't be Puck if he did, so it's not a surprise when she feels his hand on her shoulder.

"Quinn-"

She can't fight her anger anymore; it's just too much. "Go away," she says, glaring down at the counter.

"Can I just say-"

"No, you can't say anything. I don't want to talk right now. I have a lot of work to do and I don't need any distractions."

She hears him sigh, and she knows he feels bad about this all, but she really doesn't care. She doesn't think there's anything he can say right now that can make her think that he's worth giving a shot.

"I have to go to work," Puck says.

She's more than thrilled about that. She doesn't want him around right now. "Okay."

"I'll be back at around three."

She doesn't say anything, just focuses on getting the right measurements for the cupcake batter. She just wants him to leave.

"Were you gonna need any help tonight? Bringing all this stuff to that party?"

"Rachel is helping," she answers tightly.

"Okay."

Finally, he leaves her alone. She listens, solemn as ever, as he goes to take a shower, and later as he goes back into his room and changes. Only after he says a quiet goodbye and slips out the front door, does she finally allow herself to cry.

**888**

Puck has screwed up big time.

He never should have brought that girl home. He normally wouldn't have, except that she was a tourist and her friend had already brought someone back to the hotel room they were sharing. He thought she'd leave after the sex, just like all girls normally did. But none of that really matters now. What matters is that Quinn saw her, that she knows what happened, that he had _hurt_ her_. _He _hates _knowing that she's hurting because of him. She wouldn't show it, but he knows.

He shouldn't have slept with the girl - he can't even remember her name! His heart hadn't been in it, not from the moment she'd come up to him at the bar and started flirting. So why did he do it? He doesn't even know, just wishes that he hadn't, that he could take it all back.

When he arrives at work, his boss is at the front desk, wearing an odd look on his face. It's a mixture of guilt and pity.

"What's up, Abe?" he asks, getting the sense that something most definitely is up.

"Puck, why don't you come back into my office?"

With a growing sense of dread, Puck follows Abe into the back.

And that's where his boss tells him that they've got to let him go. Puck listens, numb, as he explains that business is too slow, money is too tight, and as great a worker as Puck is, they just can't afford to keep him around. This is officially his two weeks' notice.

Then, to harden the blow, Abe tells him that they don't need him today. And there goes even _more _money.

Puck leaves the shop feeling even worse than earlier.

"Shitty, shitty day," he mutters as he stands outside the store, debating on what to do next.

He should start looking for a job right away. In this economy, it's going to be hard to find one, let alone a decent one. But right now his heart just isn't in it. It's a Saturday, so Artie, Finn, and Sam aren't working, but he's not really in the mood to see any of them. He can go back home, try to talk to Quinn and settle this whole thing out, but he just left and he doesn't think she'll have changed her mind about wanting to talk.

He doesn't like any of these options, so he decides to just do what he normally would on a tough day. He walks down to closest bar, buys himself a drink, and drowns himself in his sorrows the good old fashioned way.

**888**

Quinn is extremely glad that she had this party to distract her the whole day, or else she's pretty sure she would have gone mad. Luckily, she's been busy baking the whole day, the perfect distraction. Now she and Rachel are at the engagement party, getting all the food set up and ready to eat - meaning even more distractions.

Of course, Rachel has been talking about how amazing Puck and Finn's gig was last night and how Quinn really would have loved it. Quinn doesn't really want to think about Puck and his stupid band gig (which really is what led to all this trouble), so she listens with half an ear, smiling and nodding at the appropriate times, but she's really putting her focus on the task at hand.

At one point, Rachel senses that Quinn wasn't really listening, but Quinn just tells her she's just trying to focus on getting everything ready. That settles Rachel's curiosity well enough.

They get back to the apartment at around eight that night. They didn't need to stay at the party long. Mostly they just needed to drop the food off and collect the money. She and Rachel part ways outside, as Rachel is eager to spend the rest of her night with Finn. Quinn's kind of glad that Rachel won't be staying because Rachel would probably catch back on to her quiet mood fast and force an explanation out of her. And Quinn really isn't ready to talk about it. In fact, she'd really just like to forget the whole thing happened.

She unlocks the front door with some anticipation; Puck should be home by now. She still doesn't want to see him, but having some time away from him did manage to make the anger die down somewhat. She still thinks it was incredibly disrespectful of him to bring a girl home, but she can't bring herself to muster up much more anger than that. After all, it's not like they're together. Puck probably assumed that Quinn still wouldn't want to be with him, even after the moment they'd shared. She can't blame him there; she'd made a point multiple times of telling him that there was no chance for them.

Not to her surprise, Puck is sitting on the couch, a worn out look on his face as he watches a basketball game on TV. He looks up as she enters, his eyes narrowing uncertainly.

"Hey," she says as she pulls off her coat and sets it on the hanger.

His lips twitch into a crooked smile. "Hey."

She stands there for a moment, debating her next move. She doesn't really want to talk about today, but at the same time she thinks they at least need to clear the air. So she walks over to him and settles next to him on the couch. She scrunches her nose as she smells alcohol on him. He looks exhausted. There are circles under his eyes and he's a paler than normal.

"I'm sorry about this morning, Quinn," Puck says before she can say anything. "I really am."

"I know," Quinn says.

He shakes his head, wincing a second later at the action. "I was so stupid."

"What's new there?"

He laughs softly, closing his eyes as he lays his head back against the couch. She observes him worriedly. He really doesn't look right to her.

"Are you okay?" she asks. She gets another whiff of the alcohol. "Are you drunk?"

"I _was. _But now I'm more in the hangover faze."

"But it's only eight. Weren't you at work the whole day?"

He is silent for a moment, eyes still closed, before he speaks again. "I got out early. Had some extra time to drown my sorrows in booze."

"You should get some sleep then. You look horrible."

He grins. "Thanks."

She smiles softly and pats his leg. "I brought some extra cupcakes home."

He cracks open an eye. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He sits up, wearing a big smile as he stares at her. "You're amazing."

"You tell me that all the time."

"And I always mean it."

She chuckles softly before standing up. "I'm heading to bed early. It's been a long day."

He nods slowly, looking conflicted once more. Just as she reaches her bedroom, she hears him call her name. She turns around and waits for him to speak.

"We're okay?" he asks. "Right?"

She just nods. They're okay. She just isn't sure they're any more than that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And so the drama begins. Next chapter will be another time jump in order to move things along. I have to say next chapter is probably my favorite chapter so far – it's going to be a juicy one. Also, if you've been wondering what some of the other Glee characters have been up to, you'll find out next time as well. So that's something to look forward to.**

**Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think – good or bad - in a review!**


	5. Set Fire to the Rain

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! It seriously means the world to me.**

**This chapter's title and lyrics come from the amazing Adele.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: <em>Set Fire to the Rain<em>**

_I let it fall, my heart__  
><em>_And as it fell, you rose to claim it__  
><em>_It was dark and I was over__  
><em>_Until you kissed my lips and you saved me__  
><em>_My hands, they were strong, but my knees were far too weak__  
><em>_To stand in your arms without falling to your feet_

Puck feels like absolute shit. The minute his life starts to take a positive turn, something happens that turns it all around once more.

He has been out of work for over a month now and he still hasn't told Quinn, not because he's afraid she'd kick him out, but because telling her he lost his job would also be admitting that he couldn't actually find another one. He had a few interviews, most of them as dishwashers at crappy restaurants or fast food joints. None of them paid nearly enough for him to afford to keep living with Quinn. He had gotten a few hundred bucks singing out on the streets practically night and day, but it isn't enough to pay this month's portion of the rent, which also means his days of lying to Quinn are dwindling. Soon he'll be forced to tell her when he admits that he can't pay all his rent.

He got a call from his mother the other day. She's one of the only people who know about his situation. Apparently there's an opening at her work (she's an accountant at a pretty nice law firm) as an office assistant back home in Philadelphia. It sounds incredibly dull, but it pays $10 an hour, which is more than the minimum wage jobs he'd have to settle for here. He also wouldn't have to pay rent, because he'd be living with his mom again, which means he'd be able to save up to move back to New York someday. Still, he doesn't want to leave here. New York is his home now; leaving it just feels wrong.

And then there's Quinn. His whole relationship with her hasn't been great since he brought that girl home. Quinn isn't mad at him, at least she doesn't act like it, and they're still pretty friendly. It's just seems like she's more closed off than before, like she doesn't want to let him get too close. He can't even pinpoint how he knows this, he just does. She doesn't trust him anymore and, because of that, she limits the way she acts around him. And he hates it. He hates himself even more for being the cause of it.

Maybe it's for the best, then, if she distances herself from him. At least, if he's going to be leaving soon - which, at this point, he will. He'd had a phone interview with his mom's boss today and it seems like the job is his if he wants it. Right now, he has no other choice.

Puck releases a heavy sigh as he falls onto the couch. You'd think after a whole day of doing absolutely nothing he wouldn't feel so exhausted. And yet he feels tired and worn out, and he's felt this way for awhile now. He just wants to feel better. But he doubts that will happen until things go back to normal with Quinn and his job situation works out.

The door to the apartment opens and an aggravated looking Quinn slips inside. She's been working the whole day, which often leaves her grumpy. He hasn't gone to Starbucks himself in awhile. Hanging out there when he's supposed to be working would be a little more than suspicious. He misses it, though. It's where he met Quinn, and therefore it's where his life completely changed. He wishes more than anything they could go back to that simple time, when they were new friends who picked on each other endlessly.

"Long day?" Puck asks. He's strumming idly on his guitar, most of his attention on Quinn.

Quinn groans as she walks into the kitchen. "The longest."

He watches as she moves around the kitchen, looking frustrated as she searches for something. He continues playing his guitar, wishing she would come join him in the living room. The first month he lived here, they'd hang out in here all the time. Now, though, she spends most of her time in either her room or the kitchen.

"You okay in there?"

Quinn just sighs. "I'm trying to figure out what I want for dinner."

"There's some left over pizza in the fridge."

Quinn doesn't look excited at the prospect, but she seems too tired to make any dinner, so she ends up taking up his suggestion. After she heats the pizza up, she makes a beeline for her room, but Puck, surprising himself, ends up stopping her.

"Eat with me."

She looks over at him tiredly. "Puck, I have homework."

"It's the weekend."

"It's not the weekend. It's Thursday."

"Close enough. And anyway, you don't have classes on Friday, do you? So come here, sit. Spend some time with your favorite guy in the world."

She smiles wryly. "You're far from my favorite guy in the world."

"I know that, but let's pretend for tonight that I'm not, okay?"

She looks a little wary at the idea, but in the end she does as he asks. He smiles happily as she sits next to him. This is definitely progress.

"Do you have a suit for tomorrow night?" she asks him as she starts munching on her pizza.

Tomorrow night is Rachel and Finn's rehearsal dinner. They're getting married on Saturday. Finn had actually asked Puck and Artie to be two of his groomsmen, something that made Puck feel rather honored because it said a great deal. They'd only known each other for around five months, but already they were close friends. Being in the wedding party, though, means a rehearsal dinner, which is a suit and tie affair, something Puck's not particularly looking forward to.

"Of course. Don't I look like the type of guy that would have multiple suits on hand?" She doesn't say anything, just stares at him with a smirk on her face, and he laughs in response. "Seriously, I've got one. Don't worry."

She just nods before focusing back on her dinner. He plays his guitar quietly, thinking of something to break the ice, since she clearly isn't in the mood to start any more conversation.

"You know," he says, "something just occurred to me." She looks at him in a bored way. "In the five months we've known each other, I still haven't heard you sing."

"And that is not going to change tonight," she says, scoffing at his words.

"Come on, Quinn. Just sing for me. Just a little something, so I can at least know what you sound like."

Quinn shakes her head. "No."

"It's just me, Quinn. You know I won't judge."

She doesn't look at all convinced. She picks at her pizza, looking incredibly annoyed. He grins; he kind of loves annoying her. It's always fun. Still, he really wants to hear her sing. He knows she'll sound beautiful.

So he starts strumming a few random songs that he thinks she'll know, but none of them seem to affect her.

"How about Madonna? You seem like a Madonna kind of girl."

This gets a laugh out of her. "Do I, Puck? Do I _really_?"

He nods. "I think you do."

He starts playing one of the few Madonna songs he knows. She listens, obviously intrigued, and laughs when she figures out what song it is.

"'Papa Don't Preach', huh?"

"So you _are _a Madonna girl!"

"Not really. This is just a popular song."

"Then sing it!"

"I'm not singing it," she says, but he can tell he's getting her to bend by the way she's tapping her foot to the beat.

"Fine, if you won't then I will."

"Yeah, because that's not ridiculous at all."

"It is ridiculous. But I'm willing to make myself look silly, unlike you. You're so uptight, Quinn! Why can't you just let yourself have a little fun once in awhile?"

This seems to get to her. She stares at him, eyes narrowed, and he stares right back, challenging her. She knows he's right. He didn't want to say it, because he knew it had the potential to upset her, but if that's what it took for her to sing, then he was willing to take the risk.

Finally, after a few seconds of her glaring at him, she lets out an annoyed huff. "Fine."

And then she starts singing.

_Papa, I know you're going to be upset__  
><em>_Cause I was always your little girl__  
><em>_But you should by now__  
><em>_I'm not a baby…_

She doesn't sing the whole song, just a small portion, but it's enough for him. He is grinning ear to ear as she finishes, somehow looking both thoroughly embarrassed and wildly pleased with herself.

"You know what?" he says, setting his guitar down and looking straight at her.

"What?"

"It was worth the wait."

Finally, she smiles. The sight of it drives him wild.

"I'm glad you liked it," she says, standing up. "Because it's gonna be a long time before you hear me sing again."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "I don't think so. You'll sing for me again. Actually, I think the next step is a duet between you and me. We'd sound pretty amazing together."

She snorts. "In your dreams, Puckerman."

"No, someday soon I'll get you to sing with me. I'm sure of that."

She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips as her eyes connect to his. He smiles back, on a high after tonight's surprising turn of events. She playfully swats his shoulder before turning to leave.

"I really do have to do some homework."

"Okay," he concedes. "We'll sing some more later."

She just laughs. As he watches her go, Puck feels like they're finally moving past the incident, that now they're getting back on track. And maybe everything else going wrong in his life can get better now too.

**888**

Rachel is freaking out - just as Quinn expected she would. It is her wedding day, after all. As they wait in one of the cramped backrooms in the church, Rachel paces back and forth, a strained look on her face, like she's trying to hold back tears, and she keeps muttering nonsense to herself. In short, she looks about ready to faint.

The bridesmaids all huddle together, unsure of how to get Rachel to calm down. They've all known Rachel for years and thought they'd seen all that she could from her. This behavior, though, is new. Quinn certainly had never seen Rachel so nervous.

Mercedes shakes her head. "She is really freaking out."

"We should probably do something about her, huh?" Santana says. She looks more than amused as she watches Rachel, who is now taking slow breathes, like she's trying to calm herself down. Quinn isn't sure it's working.

"Not _you_," Quinn says. "You'll probably somehow end up convincing her to leave Finn at the altar and ride off into the sunset with Jesse St. James."

"I could say something," Brittany suggests.

Quinn, Santana, and Mercedes all speak in unison, "No."

"I'll do it," Quinn says with sigh. She's pretty sure she's the only one who can handle Rachel at the moment, anyway.

She walks cautiously over to her best friend. "Rachel? Are you okay?" Rachel just stands in front of the mirror, eyes wide, face blank. Quinn puts a hand on her shoulder. "Let's sit down."

"Sit down?" Rachel snaps. "_Sit _down_? _How can I possibly sit down at a time like this!"

A dramatic groan fills the room. "Oh my God, Berry, stop being such a drama queen. You're getting married. It's really not a huge deal."

Rachel glares over at Santana. "Why did I ask you to be my bridesmaid again?"

Santana grins, sending her a wink. "Best frenemies for life, biotch."

"Rachel," Quinn says, ignoring Santana's irritating, but expected interruption. "I know that today is a big deal, but why are you so worried? Are you afraid that Finn's getting cold feet? Because I can assure you, he's not."

"I'm not good enough for him," Rachel cuts in. She's crying now. "I never have been. And he'll realize that soon enough - he's probably realizing that right now! And then he'll call off the wedding and I'll be left here, shamed in front of all my friends and family, forever known as the pathetic girl who got left at the altar."

Quinn just gives her a look. "Rachel, come on. Finn loves you. You're his world. And cut the crap about not being good enough for him. Because, and I love Finn, I do, but if anyone's not good enough, if it's him."

"You're blinded by our friendship-"

"No," Quinn says with a roll of her eyes, "I'm not. Now here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go check on Finn, and then I'm going to come back and confirm what I've just told you. Okay?"

Rachel wipes the wetness from her eyes and sniffs. "Okay."

Quinn smiles softly and pats Rachel's shoulder. "I'll be back."

As she leaves, Quinn hears Santana say, "Rachel, hun, you're probably gonna want to fix that makeup because at this rate, Finn takes one look at you and your worries _will_ come true."

Quinn smirks, used to Santana's playfully mean snipes. She's that with all of her friends, except for maybe Brittany, and that's only because she's Santana's best friend.

She reaches the end of the hall, where all the boys are waiting and, and just as she's about to knock on their door, it opens. Puck slips out, looking annoyed. He stops at the sight of her and the way his eyes widen for just a slit second, a soft smile on his face as he stares her down, doesn't escape her.

But then he's smirking, cool as ever, as he dips his hands into his coat pockets. She must admit that he looks _very _good in a suit.

"You're looking good," Puck says. He licks his lips seductively.

She rolls her eyes. "Rachel's freaking out," she says, deciding that it's probably best she just ignores the past few seconds. "How's Finn doing?"

Puck shrugs. "Okay. He seems kind of nervous. But mostly excited. He keeps saying this cheesy things, like how lucky he is to have Rachel and how he isn't good enough." Puck's face scrunches up in a disgusted way. "It's really nauseating. I had to get away from it all."

"Come on, give him some slack. It's his wedding day."

"I just don't think weddings are that big of a deal. Half of them end in divorce these days, anyway." There's clear bitterness in his voice and it's peaks Quinn's curiosity.

"You sound like Santana," Quinn says. "She's got some sort of grudge against weddings."

"Yeah, well, Santana may be a bitch, but she's not stupid. Look, I'm not hating on anyone for making a big deal about getting married. They've got all the right in the world. I've got nothing against it. It's just not for me."

She crosses her arms, annoyed. For some reason, his stance on marriage really bothers her. It shouldn't, she should let him think the way he wants to, but there's something in her that won't let it go.

"You don't ever want to get married?"

Puck gives a low chuckle. Why he finds the situation amusing is a mystery to her. "That's not what I said."

"Well, you just said it's not for you, so what am I supposed to assume?"

He stares down at her curiously. "Why do you care so much about what I think about marriage? It's not like it affects you."

"I..." She glares at him, frustrated that he's turning this all on her. He's the one who was being so negative and now he makes her look like a fool. "Maybe if you'd just explain why you felt this way, I could understand."

"Again, why do you care?"

She huffs in annoyance. "Because we're friends, Puck, and friends tell each other things!"

"Friends?" Puck inches towards her, token smirk on his face. She wants to glare at him, but instead she stands frozen as his hand moves up to brush her cheek. His eyes penetrate into hers, his lips twisting into a solemn straight line. "Interesting."

And then he walks away. She stands there, gaping, for an embarrassingly long period of time. "What was _that_ supposed to mean?" she says aloud.

Was he trying to imply that they're not friends? Because he was far off if he was. Despite the fact that they'd only known each other for four months, she considers Puck to be one of her best friends. Apparently, he doesn't think the same of her.

Of course he could have meant - and probably did - something else entirely, but she's not sure she wants to think about that. Because she'd gone down that path not that long ago and it hadn't ended well.

Deciding to move past Puck's infuriating behavior, she knocks on Finn's door and does what she came here to do, Puck be damned.

**888**

The wedding ceremony is uneventful, at least as far as Puck is concerned. He doesn't pay much attention (a great deal of his time is spent glancing furtively at Quinn, who looks more beautiful than he has ever seen her - and that's saying a lot). Rachel is pretty much sobbing tears of joy through the whole thing, while Finn stares dreamily into her eyes, oblivious to the fact that he looks like a complete wuss. Whatever. It's his wedding day; he can act however he wants. All Puck really wants is for this day to end.

Puck's happy for Rachel and Finn, he really is, and he couldn't be more honored that he gets to be a part of this day. It's just that he's been having a rough past few weeks and today has been the worst of all. It started when he got a call from his mom's boss asking if he'd made the decision about taking the job. Apparently he needed an answer as soon as possible, because the position needed to be filled immediately. Puck, at his wit's end of his doomed job search, had given in and accepted the job. He starts on Tuesday, meaning he has today, Sunday, and part of Monday before he has to leave New York.

And before he has to leave Quinn.

He still can't get over that Quinn's no longer going to be the most prominent part of his life. He's grown far too attached to her in the time he has lived with her. It's a bit unhealthy, actually. And when he leaves, there's no guarantee that their friendship - or whatever the hell it is that they have - will ever be the same. They may very well grow completely apart, the past five months a short period in their lives that they remember fondly, but that's the extent of it. That thought leaves him angry.

He hates that it's come to this, that he's been forced to leave the place that has become his home and the people that have essentially become his family, for a job that he doesn't even really want. All he can do now is hope and pray that he can save enough to get back to New York within a year. He isn't sure he'll be able to take being away for much longer than that.

And then there's the fact that he still has to tell Quinn. That alone is going to be pure torture for him.

The ceremony ends and Puck walks down the aisle with Santana on his arm.

"You're looking extra sexy today," she murmurs seductively into his ear.

Puck smirks. "What's new?"

Santana has been flirting with him all this weekend. She and Sam broke up (again) just last week. Puck fully expects to see them making out on the dance floor by the end of the night.

The wedding party arrives at the reception hall before everyone else to take pictures. Quinn looks rather annoyed with him as he goes to talk to her after the group shots are finally over and all that's left are Rachel and Finn's solo shots.

"Having fun?" she asks sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm having the time of my life," he says, grinning.

Sam comes up behind them. "I love that song!"

"It's a horrible song," Puck replies airily.

Sam looks like he couldn't care less. "Look, Puck, I've been seeing the way Santana's been hanging off you all week-"

"Don't worry about it, man," Puck interrupts. "Bros before hoes. Besides, I'm pretty sure she's only doing it to make you jealous."

"Oh," Sam says, clearly relieved. "Good."

He gives Puck a friendly pat on the back and makes his way over to Finn's best man and stepbrother Kurt, who's leading what looks like a very lively conversation with his boyfriend Blaine and Mercedes.

Puck turns to talk to Quinn again, but she's gone. In her place is Santana, who's clinging tightly onto his arm, asking what Sam was talking to him about. He sighs warily. It's gonna be a _long_ night.

**888**

As the pictures come to a close and the reception finally begins, Quinn decides to let all thoughts of Puck slip away and just enjoy the night. There's so many people here she hasn't seen in so long. Mr. Shuester, for instance - her old Spanish teacher and glee club coach, and his wife Emma. In fact, if she has done the math right, everyone from their original glee club is here. It has been pretty amazing (and a great distraction from Puck) to get to catch up with them all.

Not long in to the party, Finn announces that he has written a song for Rachel. Puck, Sam, and Artie join him on stage to help him sing it. Quinn wonders how Puck feels about singing at weddings. Considering his attitude earlier, he probably isn't a fan. If he isn't, though, he doesn't show it. She watches him play the guitar, while Finn sings a beautiful, albeit extremely cheesy song to Rachel, and Puck actually looks pretty happy, at least judging by the big smile on his face.

After they sing a few more songs (Finn insisted they highlight some of their other original songs), the stage basically becomes the center for glorified karaoke. Quinn watches in amusement as many of her former glee members take the stage. Kurt and Mercedes, in particular, seem to be having the most fun up there.

"You gonna join them?"

She turns to look at Puck, who has taken a seat next to her at the table where she sits alone. Everyone else is either mingling, dancing, or singing.

"Why ask when you already know the answer?"

He grins crookedly and she can tell he's already drunk. "I'm just gonna bug you until you join in."

She doesn't say anything, just smiles lightly as she watches Finn and Rachel dance. She has never seen two people look so happy. She hopes that someday she can be so lucky.

"Dance with me?"

Quinn glances at him surprise. For some reason, she never pegged Puck as a guy who liked to dance, let alone be the one to suggest it. He stares back at her with serious eyes and she can tell he isn't just asking for the fun of it. He holds his hand out to her, offering her a gentle smile. She takes it with little thought.

As they take their place dance floor and his arms circle comfortably around her, Quinn starts to think this might not be such a good idea. Ever since the incident a few months ago, when Puck had brought a girl back to their house shortly after almost kissing Quinn, things between them had been strained. It had been Quinn's doing completely, as she wasn't eager to let Puck into her heart so soon after he had played with it. He tried to wiggle his way back in, but she only let him in so far. And right now he's trying again and part of her just wants to give him another chance, but another, much more logical part, knows that it's an incredibly stupid idea. The problem now is that the two glasses of wine she has already drunk are greatly blurring her logical side. Now, with him holding her in his arms and her fitting in so perfectly, like she belongs there, she doesn't know really what she wants.

"My grandparents divorced," Puck says suddenly. Quinn looks up at him surprise. "Both sides. Yeah, that was a mess. A few of my friend's parents have divorced too. And then of course my own parents. My dad left my mom when I was eight. My little sister was only one. He came back every few years, claiming he was a changed man and all that shit. Eventually my mom stopped believing him and finally decided it was time to get a divorce. That was when I was fifteen. It took over seven years to get to that point, but we all knew that's where it was going... That's why I'm not big on weddings and marriage. I guess I just haven't had many great examples of what a good marriage should be."

Her eyes move intently up to meet his, but his gaze is directed off to the side, as if he can't bear to look at her. She understands now, though, and that's what matters. And it makes her absolutely horrible about earlier. Her hand travels up to his face, caresses it sweetly. He looks down at her, a soft smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"It's okay. I know that everyone's situations are different. Just because some people can't make it work doesn't mean anyone else won't either." His eyes move to Finn and Rachel, who are a few people over from them, looking completely lost in their own little world. "I see them, and Tina and Artie, and I know that they're the ones who will make it. They're the ones that are gonna set that example for me, so that when I find the right girl, the one I want to share the rest of my life with, I won't be so worried about it all going wrong."

He's looking at her again and his gaze is so intense that she has to wonder if he's thinking of her right now, if he thinks that maybe she's that right girl. She finds herself desperately hoping he is.

And then she decides to stop wondering - to stop caring - and just let herself be happy, even if it's just for tonight.

So, with that in mind, she settles herself in her arms, rests her head on his chest, and decides to let whatever happens happen.

**888**

The night goes on a little faster now that Puck has Quinn to keep him company. They dance a little while longer before retiring back to the tables. It's there that Quinn introduces him to her former glee coach, who she calls Mr. Shue, but apparently wants them to call him Will, since they're no longer his students.

"You're a pretty great singer, Puck," Will tells him. "It's too bad we didn't have you back in high school. You would have fit in perfectly in our glee club. Right, Quinn?"

Quinn looks highly amused at the idea, probably because she knows the thought horrifies Puck. She gives him a teasing wink.

"Right."

"That would have been fun," Puck says, though he struggles to hold back the sarcasm in his voice.

Puck spends the next few hours hanging out with Quinn's friends from high school, most of whom he already met at the rehearsal last night. Artie and Tina get along great with Mercedes and Kurt, while Puck finds himself bonding more with Mike, the only groomsman he hadn't met before the wedding, as well as Will - who Puck finds to be pretty cool for an a guy who's old and married.

All of this is a nice distraction from the impending doom that is tomorrow, when he'll tell Quinn that he's leaving. The only person besides Puck who knows that he's going home is Artie. There is one other person, though, who also needs to know before the night's end.

Puck finds himself pulling Finn aside, knowing that he and Rachel will be leaving soon. Over the past few months, Finn has become one of Puck's best friends, so there's no way Puck can let him leave for his honeymoon without telling him that he won't be here when Finn gets back.

Finn is all smiles as Puck stands apprehensively before him. Noticing Puck's behavior, Finn frowns.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"I just wanted to tell you, before you left…" Puck sighs. If it was hard telling Artie, and it's now just as hard telling Finn, he wonders how much worse it will be telling Quinn. "I'm leaving on Monday."

Puck explains the situation to him and Finn listens with a growing frown. When Puck finishes, Finn just stares at him with sad eyes.

"That really sucks, man," he says. "Like really, _really _sucks."

Puck just nods. He came to that conclusion a long time ago.

"How does Quinn feel about this?" Finn asks.

"I, uh..." Puck tries to keep the guilt from showing on his face. "I haven't told her yet," Puck continues before Finn can cut in. "I haven't told anyone except Artie and now you. I just…I didn't want to say anything until after I found a job, because I didn't want to worry anyone. I really thought I'd find one. But I didn't. Not here, anyway."

Finn shakes his head. "She's gonna be pissed, you know."

"I know. She'll probably have to end up asking her parents for help with the rent, and you know how she feels about that."

"I wasn't talking about the rent, Puck." He looks at Puck seriously. "I've been friends with Quinn for a long time. I've seen all sides of her - happy, sad, bitchy, sweet. But with all that said, I can say with full confidence that I've never seen her in love before. Not until now."

Puck stares at him. He doesn't know what to say, isn't even sure if he understands what Finn just said. Quinn can't really be in love with him. Finn can't possibly know that, no matter how well he knows her.

"She doesn't love me," Puck murmurs, because he doesn't know what else there is to say.

"She does. Trust me, Puck, I'm not an expert at this sort of stuff by any means, but like I said, I know Quinn. Rachel knows her too, better than me even, and she feels the same way. Whether or not Quinn has acknowledged it yet, well, that's the one thing I don't know."

Puck doesn't know how to take this. He assumed Quinn had feelings for him. There had always been some sort of sexual tension on both sides. But he never considered how far her feelings went. Or his, for that matter.

"I know what you're going to say," Finn continues, "You and Quinn aren't even together so how could she possibly love you? But I know from experience that you don't need to be with someone to fall in love with them. Most of the time it starts with friendship, and over time, your feelings start to grow and turn into something much stronger, much more powerful. It turns to love."

Puck looks at him, amused. "You say you're not an expert at this, but I'd have to disagree."

"Dude, did you even listen to my speech earlier?" Finn asks with a chuckle. "What I basically just told you was it, practically word for word. It's how things started between me and Rachel. We were friends first, and after awhile the friendship became something more. Actually, coming up with the speech was kind of how I realized that things between you and Quinn were pretty similar."

Puck soaks Finn's words in. He isn't sure how to feel about this. He's never really had a girl love him before and he's certainly never loved a girl either. Under normal circumstances, he might be intrigued by the idea. But not now, when he would be moving away in just a few days and living two hours away. And as much as he might want to, he doesn't think there's a way that they could be together with that kind of distance. Maybe if he was good at relationships, if he'd actually been in a serious one before, but he isn't and he hasn't and you add that to his womanizing ways and that makes a disastrous recipe for a long-distance relationship.

Finn's voice breaks the silence. "I get why you've got to go, Puck, and I think Quinn will too. It's not that big of a deal really. It's just a couple hours away, and you'll be back someday. We both know that. Just promise me you won't break her heart, okay?"

Puck can't make that promise, especially now that it appears Quinn might actually love him. It doesn't help that he's starting to feel like he might love her too.

"I'll try," Puck says, giving Finn a small smile. "Now go back to your wife and take her home. She's looking pretty horny out there."

Finn just laughs, gives Puck a hard swat on the back, and does as Puck says.

As for Puck, he makes a beeline for the bar, hoping another beer will be a good enough distraction from his very complicated life.

**888**

It's nearing midnight when Quinn decides it's time to head home. Rachel and Finn disappeared long ago, leaving their guests to finish the celebration for them. Quinn is exhausted. She has been up since six, helping Rachel get ready, and she didn't get much sleep the night before, since the rehearsal dinner went late as well.

She spots Puck by the bar and decides that it's time for him to go home too. He has been over there far too long, anyway; it's time for her to pull him away from the alcohol.

He doesn't actually look too drunk when she reaches him. Instead, he just looks depressed.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks curiously.

He turns to her and wears an obviously forced smile. "Nothing."

"You think I buy that?"

He glances tiredly down at the beer in his hand. "No."

She takes the beer from him and sets it on the counter. "How many of these have you had?"

"Just a few."

Taking a whiff of him, she'd say he was lying.

"Let's go," she says, grabbing his hand.

He doesn't protest, just lets her lead him out, her hand resting loosely in his. As they leave, they pass Santana and Sam making out in the lobby.

"Whoa," Puck says, grinning sloppily. "They're practically having sex. Shield your eyes, innocent one!" He moves his hands in front of Quinn's face. She pushes them away with a snort and continues to the front doors.

They're greeted by a rush of cool air as they step outside. It's the beginning of May now and summer is on its way. Quinn hails a taxi, as it seems Puck is in no mood to do so. One arrives quickly and they both jump inside.

As they begin their drive home, Quinn notices that her hand is still tucked away in Puck's. His thumb strokes her knuckles absently, as if he doesn't even realize he's doing it. She thinks for a second of removing it, but decides against it; she likes it much more than she'd ever admit.

They arrive at the apartment building fifteen minutes later. Puck's hand finally leaves hers as he moves to pull out some cash from his wallet to pay the taxi driver. They walk together, slowly and silently, and soon they're standing in front of their door. Quinn pulls out her key and unlocks it. She can feel Puck's breath on the back of her neck. He's standing so close. His hands brush against sides her dress, right next to her thighs, and she wonders if he's doing it on purpose or if he's just too drunk to notice.

When they get inside, Puck begins to head to his room. She stands in the living room, a sudden wave of annoyance hitting her. She isn't sure why, but she had been expecting that their night would end differently. Now she realizes that she more than expects it to, she _wants _it to.

But mostly, she just wants him.

"Puck."

He stops at his door and looks at her. She doesn't say anything, just walks swiftly up to him, throws all cares and all doubts aside, roughly pulls his face down to hers, and kisses him like she has wanted to for months.

If Puck is surprised by her actions, he doesn't show it. He's kissing her back, hard and desperately, his hands moving up and down the curves of her body, restless, as if he's aching to touch every part of her before she changes her mind and ends the moment. She's not going to, though. At some point tonight – whether it was the taxi ride home or dancing in his arms - she made up her mind. And there is no going back, not now that she has finally had a taste of him.

Quinn pushes Puck back against the door, surprising herself with the aggressive action. This isn't like her. With all the boys she dated, she wouldn't ever let them do more than a rare hand brushing against her breasts and even then that was pushing it. Now Puck's hands roam all over and she doesn't even think to stop him.

For a brief moment, Puck pulls slightly away. He stares down at her unsurely, and she thinks that maybe he feels guilty, but she stares back, a determined glint in her eye, and reassures him with another kiss.

His lips move against hers, in perfect synch. She moans as his hand begin to pull up her dress, and she does nothing to discourage it. She's never felt such an ache in her body, such desire, such _need _for someone else. It's a new, wonderful feeling, one she can't even begin to explain.

She uses her free hand to search for the doorknob, and soon they're stumbling through the doorway. They fall on to Quinn's bed, him on top of her. His hands move on under her dress now and he's pulling at her underwear.

Quinn tenses slightly as she realizes what this means, what she's about to do. She had wanted to wait for marriage; that had been her plan since she was old enough to know what sex was. Her parents had always told her that sex was sacred. Her mother specifically always mentioned that sex was about love. But now, in this moment, as Puck looks gently down at her and asks if she's sure, she doesn't think there's ever been a time that felt so sacred.

And she doesn't think there's anyone who she's ever loved - who has made her feel more loved - than Puck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there it is. Next chapter is the aftermath and it's going to be another big one. **

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know what you think!**


	6. The Lovers Are Losing

**A/N: Okay – you guys are incredible. Seriously. Last chapter received 19 reviews, which is the record for this story (and about 90% more than I was expecting). I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to drop a review. It's seriously what keeps me writing. So thank you (and keep 'em coming :D)!**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by Keane.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: <em>The Lovers Are Losing<em>**

_You take the pieces of the dreams that you have__  
><em>_'Cause you don't like the way they seem to be going__  
><em>_You cut them up and spread them out on the floor__  
><em>_You're full of hope as you begin rearranging__  
><em>_Put it all back together__  
><em>_But anyway you look at things__  
><em>_Looks like the lovers are losing_

The bright sunlight creeps through his eyelids. Puck groans in annoyance and reaches for the pillow next to him to shield his face. Since when is his room so bright? As he struggles to grip the pillow, he discovers that the issue is that someone else's head is on the pillow. And, as he opens his eyes, he finds this isn't his room – it's Quinn's.

A small smile comes to his face as remembers last night. He might have been drunk, but he definitely wasn't drunk enough to not remember. He's suddenly grateful for his high levels of alcohol tolerance, because last night was a memory he never wants to forget.

Puck relaxes back against the bed and allows his arms to slip around Quinn, who is still sleeping curled up next to him. He rests his chin against the top of her head and runs his hand gently through her tangled hair. He lets out a content sigh and closes his eyes once more. All he wants to do is spend the rest of his day like this, in bed with Quinn – the girl he's pretty damn sure he loves.

Except he can't.

His face falls and his whole body tenses. He can't spend his day in bed with Quinn because he is leaving tomorrow. He needs to pack. But first he needs to tell Quinn.

Puck releases Quinn from his hold as he slides onto his back. He stares up at the ceiling, guilt washing over him. What's she going to think when, the morning after he took her virginity, he tells her that he's moving away tomorrow? She'll be angry and hurt and rightfully so.

He shouldn't have let this happen. He shouldn't have slept with her, not when it's something she takes so seriously and not when he can't give her anything more. But his mind had been clouded with alcohol and his judgment had been far from normal. Still, he has to wonder, if he had been in his right mind would he have put a stop to it? A very large, very guilty part of him thinks he wouldn't have.

Last night - being with Quinn – had been nothing short of amazing. He'd had sex countless times with countless girls over the years, but all those times combined couldn't compare to what he had felt with Quinn. He had been slow and gentle, wanting this moment to be special for them both, and she'd looked up at him with nervous but trusting eyes and let him be her first. He can't remember a moment that felt so damn right.

Quinn's small hand comes to rest on his bare chest. His head twists to the side to find that she's awake. She smiles brightly as she blinks up at him. He smiles back, because as horrible as he feels about this all, the elation of waking up next to her outweighs the guilt. At least for now.

"Good morning," she murmurs.

He slips his arm around her and pulls her closer to him before resting his hand on top of hers. "Morning."

She looks like she wants to laugh, but instead digs her head into her pillow, hiding her face.

He chuckles quietly. "What's up with you?"

"I was thinking about…_last night_," comes her muffled reply.

He grins as he brushes his lips against her arm. "Don't be so embarrassed. You were amazing."

She peeks up at him, looking unconvinced. "You're just saying that because you have to."

"No, I'm not. It's the truth. Hands down, best sex I've ever had."

Quinn winces slightly, as if the word sex offends her. And then he thinks about how sex is not a casual thing for her and he wonders if the wince had been one of guilt instead. His hand moves to caress her cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah," she says, smiling lightly as she stares up at the ceiling. "I guess...it's just weird, you know? But I'm okay. It felt good...it felt right."

He isn't sure what to say to that, because the shame is now taking over him once more. He needs to tell her. He can't wait any longer; it wouldn't be fair for him too. He turns to her, prepared to do what he should have done weeks ago, but before he can even open his mouth, she's leaping out of bed, letting out a string of curse words - words she always yells at him for saying - as she runs towards her closet.

"It's almost ten," she says in a panicked tone. "I'm supposed to be at work in fifteen minutes."

He lets out a loud groan. He isn't sure how much longer he can keep this in. "Can't you call in sick?"

"No," Quinn says, throwing him an apologetic look as she pulls on her work pants. "I'm covering for someone else. That's the whole point of me going in. But believe me, I wish I could."

He sighs heavily, knowing there is nothing he can do now. He settles himself back into Quinn's bed and glares hard at the ceiling. He'll just have to tell her tonight. Unfortunately, that means he'll have to go most of the day in a guilt-stricken haze.

A few seconds later, his frown is erased as her warm lips meet his cheek. He looks up at her with a crooked smile.

"I'll be home at around five," she says. "We'll talk then."

And then, before he can say anything else, she's out the door and he's left wondering if she'll feel much like talking when he tells her his news.

**888**

Quinn has to admit, she's kind of baffled at how she has reacted to last night's rather surprising turn of events. She thought she would be regretting it, but she can't. She wasn't lying to Puck when she told him it felt right.

Still, she didn't expect for it to make her feel so _good. _Right now, for example, she's fluttering around work in a pathetically cheerful state. Walking on air is what Katie called it a few minutes ago. Of course Quinn won't tell her favorite co-worker the reasons behind her abnormal behavior, which bothers Katie to no end. But Quinn doesn't want to tell anyone yet. Not even Rachel. She needs to talk to Puck first and find out where he stands.

As for herself, Quinn is certain of what she wants. She wouldn't have given up her virginity to just any guy and she certainly wouldn't have given it up for just a onetime fling. She wants to be with Puck. It has taken her awhile to admit it to herself, and taken even longer for her to really trust him, but she's ready now. She's tired of dancing around her feelings for him. And she knows Puck is too.

Quinn is jolted from her thoughts at the sound of a familiar voice. "Quinn? Are you back there?"

She smiles wide as she spots Mercedes peeking around the coffee machines. With all the Puck thoughts, she'd forgotten that Mercedes was going to stop by for a little bit before she had to catch her plane back to LA.

"Yeah, Mercedes, I'm here. Go grab a table and I'll meet you there."

Quickly informing Eric, her shift manager, that she was taking her break, Quinn fills a cup with some steaming coffee and heads over to the table that Mercedes is now sitting at.

"Here you go," Quinn says, sitting across from Mercedes and handing her the coffee. Mercedes begins to protest at the free drink but Quinn just shakes her head. "It's the perk of being close friends with a Starbucks employee."

Mercedes doesn't look convinced. "Really? You give _all _your friends free drinks?"

"Well, technically, I'm not supposed to. If anything, I mostly give discounts, but don't worry, I'll take it off my paycheck. It's just a couple of bucks. Seriously, Mercedes, no arguing."

Mercedes just shakes her head, chuckling softly. "Okay. It's kind of pointless arguing with you, anyway. You always win."

Quinn grins. "I do."

Taking a careful sip of the hot coffee, Mercedes observes Quinn with narrowed eyes. "Something about you is different."

Seriously, how can people tell? Is she really behaving _that _differently? Not wanting to give anything else away, Quinn feigns innocence. "I don't know what you mean."

"You're different. You're all…happy. You've had this big smile on your face from the moment I saw you."

"Maybe it's because I'm happy to be hanging out with my friend who I barely ever see because she lives three thousand miles away from me?"

"Nah, I don't think so. You're not much of a smiler, Quinn. Never have been. For instance, yesterday at the wedding you were obviously happy, but in a subdued kind of way – which isn't weird at all; it's how you always are. Right now, though, you're just so cheerful. You actually look like you should be working at a Starbucks."

Unable to help it, Quinn's mind slips back to the day she met Puck, when he questioned why she was working at Starbucks, since she was so obviously not like the cheerful employees he was used to dealing with.

"See! You're doing it right now!"

Quinn glances back at Mercedes. "What?"

"The smiling, the weird look on your face. It's not normal. Something's going on, Quinn, and I demand as one of your best friends that you tell me."

"Do I have a choice in this matter?"

"No."

Quinn laughs softly. "Well, okay then."

She decides it's not a big deal to tell Mercedes. She doesn't even really know Puck anyway, so it would be nice to get an objective point of view. Whereas if she talked to Rachel, Quinn didn't think she'd be very helpful as Rachel was obviously biased. Quinn could already imagine the response. Something all the lines of, "I knew it!...you're so in love…go for it!...you're going to make adorable mohawked babies!…"

"Alright, I'll tell you. But please don't make a big deal out of this, okay?"

Mercedes nods as she leans forward eagerly. "Deal."

"You remember Puck, right? One of Finn's groomsmen, the guy with the mohawk?"

"Sure. He was in Finn's band. He's your roommate, right?" Mercedes eyes suddenly widen, as if she's already figured it all out. "Wait, are you two…? Did you?...You didn't actually…You did!"

Quinn stares at her. "Huh?"

Mercedes looks at her seriously and says in a much quieter tone, "You slept with him."

"I'm really not sure how you put that all together from what I've told you."

"But I'm right," Mercedes says confidently.

"Well…" Quinn shifts around uncomfortably. For some reason admitting it out loud makes her feel a little guilty. "Yeah."

For a few moments, Mercedes just sits there. Quinn isn't sure how to read her reaction because there isn't really anything to read. Mercedes' face is as blank as a white piece of paper. Quinn waits impatiently for Mercedes to say something, feeling worse and worse by the second, until finally Mercedes' speaks.

"Do you love him?" Mercedes asks.

She isn't sure. She thinks she does, but then again she's never really been in love before. With her past boyfriends, she threw around the word so freely, as so many teenagers did, but she knew enough then to know that she never truly loved any of them. But with Puck, it's different. She feels a connection with him that she's never felt with anyone else. They're best friends. They've lived together for almost six months. They know all there is to know about each other - the good, the bad, and the ugly – and yet they still want to be with each other. And the thought of life without him seems wrong. If that isn't love, she isn't sure what is.

So Quinn answers honestly and seriously, knowing that Mercedes won't accept anything less. "Yes."

Mercedes face softens, a small, but sincere smile coming to her face. "I could tell. The way you were acting just reeks of newly-in-love. One thing's for sure, though - that boy loves _you_. The way he kept looking at you last night, when you two danced together. I was gonna ask you about it, but Rachel said Puck was a touchy subject with you."

Quinn looks down at the table, trying to hide her smile. She doesn't know for sure if Mercedes is right about how Puck feels about her, but she hopes to settle that later tonight.

"So are you officially together?" Mercedes asks.

"I don't know. We haven't really had a chance to talk. I think so, though."

Mercedes just beams at her. "I'm so happy for you, Quinn. I was wondering if you were ever gonna break that no dating rule of yours."

"Only for someone who's worth it," Quinn says.

"And Puck is," Mercedes states in that knowing way of hers.

Quinn smiles. "Puck definitely is."

**888**

Most of Puck's morning is spent wallowing in self-pity. It's pretty pathetic, actually. All he wants to do is call his mom and tell her he's not coming, that he's got to turn down the job and stay here in New York. It literally takes all his self-control not to.

But he knows he can't. It's just not realistic right now for him to stay here, no matter how badly he wants to be with Quinn. His job opportunities here are slim – at least for a decent job that will pay enough for him to keep living here – so he'd have to move out anyway even if he did stay. And then where would he live? With Artie and Tina again? He just doesn't want to be a burden on his friends anymore. Especially not Quinn. So he has to go with his head right now, not his heart. Hopefully Quinn will understand. Somehow, though, he doubts she will.

He falls into a dreamless sleep on the couch at around noon, because the hangover is really starting to kick in and he feels awful. Nevertheless, he's grateful for the temporary break from his endless stream of thoughts.

He is woken by the feel of a gentle hand running across his forehead. He opens his eyes, blinking up at the face above him, and winces as the headache took over once more.

"You look _really _hung-over," Quinn says with a chuckle.

He sits up, letting out a heavy sigh as he looks over at her in a depressed sort of way. "Nice to know you're amused by my pain."

She just smiles at him before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulls away shortly after and cups his cheek with her hand.

"Are you feeling well enough to talk?" she asks

"No," he says, "but we need to. We _really _need to."

Her smile falters at his words and it's clear she can tell something is up.

And then she's angry and his eyes are widening as she stands up and glares down at him. "Puck, I swear to God if you're about to tell me that last night was just a one night thing-"

"No!" he says, cutting her off before she can threaten his life. "I'm not going to say that. I swear. Last night was amazing and trust me when I say I want many, _many _more nights just like it."

"Oh." Quinn calms down considerably, sitting back down and staring at him with a now curious look. "What's wrong then?"

Puck sighs. He's pictured this moment for a long time now, but he could never really be fully prepared for when it actually happened.

"I don't know how to do this, so I'm just gonna be straight. I lost my job. Six weeks ago. And I can't find a new one here, at least not one that pays well enough to live here. But my mom found me one back in Philadelphia and it was too good to give up…" He tries to finish the sentence, but it's just too hard.

She understands, though. "You're leaving?"

He can only nod. Quinn sits there for a painfully long amount of time, staring straight ahead and looking utterly confused. He can tell she's trying to work through all of this in her mind and it won't be long before she realizes the more important details.

As if on cue, she glares back at him, her eyes piercing intensely into his. "Six weeks? You lost your job _six _weeks ago?"

"I know I should have told you, but I didn't want to worry you. I thought I'd find one quickly, but I couldn't."

Her gaze is icy now. "And when did you find this other job?"

"My mom told me about it about a few weeks ago, but I didn't accept it until yesterday. I'm…I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" He can see the tears welling in her eyes and he hates that he's the cause of it.

"You have to believe me, I don't want to leave. It's torture for me - especially now that we finally have this chance. I want to be with you so badly."

But Quinn shakes her head in disbelief, completely bypassing his words. "So you knew," she says. A tear slips down her cheek. "You knew last night and yet you still chose to sleep with me, even though you _knew _you were going to be leaving - that we probably wouldn't be able to be with each other."

"Quinn-"

"You should have told me! You should have told me the minute you lost your job. And not just because I'm the one you're paying rent to, but because I'm your friend. Didn't we have this conversation before? You tell your friends things, Puck. _God_, why is that so hard for you to understand?"

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I thought I could fix it on my own."

"Well, obviously you couldn't. And now you're leaving and any chance we had is gone."

He looks at her seriously. "It doesn't have to be, Quinn. I'm gonna come back someday. We can still be together."

"No, we can't." She's looking away, as if she can't bear the sight of him.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't _trust_ you. I thought I could, but tonight you proved me wrong. You've been lying to me for weeks."

"It was for your own benefit. I didn't want you to worry!"

"Cut the crap, Puck. We both know you didn't say anything because you were a coward."

"You know what? Yeah, maybe I was scared, but my only real fear was losing you. And now it looks like that's gonna happen. But if it does, it's our own fault, because we don't have to let it happen. We can work though this, Quinn. You just have to give me a chance."

Quinn just sighs. She seems more sad than angry now. "I don't know if I can do that."

Frustrated, Puck grits his teeth. He gets that she's angry with him, but he needs her to see things his way. He can't leave her on such bad terms.

So he grabs both her hands and looks her straight in the eye. "I love you, Quinn."

And it's the truth. He didn't know for sure until now, when the idea of losing her became a reality. But there's no doubt now; he loves her, and she needs to know that.

Her lips creep into the smallest smile, but it's not a happy one.

"I love you too," she says, and his heart jumps at her words, because despite the situation he doesn't think anything has ever made him feel so good. But when she speaks again, his heart drops. "But right now that's not enough. You're going to be living in another state and I just…I can't do long-distance. Not with you. It just wouldn't work."

"You don't know that," he protests.

"I do, though. You haven't even been in a real relationship before, Puck. And trust me when I say that a long-distance relationship should not be your first one."

"But-"

"It's _not_ gonna work," she cuts in. Her tone is angry, but above all, it's final. He knows that arguing with her now is pointless. Still, he has to try.

"So that's it? You're just gonna give up before we even get a chance to really try?"

She shrugs and looks away, as if she doesn't even care anymore at this point. "I guess so."

His head falls into his hands and he closes his eyes, trying to block out the headache that is still very much there. He doesn't want to give up on her – he _won't _give up – but right now he needs to respect her decision. Pushing her into doing something she clearly doesn't want to do is just not a good idea. She'll only resent him for it.

So instead of continuing the argument, he decides to put an end to it. He stands up and stares down at her with soft eyes.

"I'm sorry, Quinn. I really am. But you should know, this isn't over. I'm not giving up."

She doesn't look at him, just stares off in the opposite direction and gives a tight nod. Puck turns around and walks slowly into his bedroom, knowing that he isn't going to be able to get anything else from her for now.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I couldn't just let them be together, could I? That would be too easy. But don't worry, they'll figure things out eventually. In the meantime, enjoy the drama (because you'll probably miss it when it's all sunshine and rainbows later on). **

**Thanks for reading (and remember to review :D)!**


	7. Wait It Out

**A/N: Let me start off by saying I'm not a huge fan of this chapter and the reason behind that is because it's basically filler. But it _is_ necessary. I guess I like to think of it as a little interlude that fills in the blanks between what I consider to be part 1 of the story - which is the first six chapters – and part 2, which is chapter 8 and on. So with that said, I hope you still enjoy this chapter!**

**This chapter's title and lyrics are from a wonderful song by Imogen Heap.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: <em>Wait It Out<em>**

_Everybody says time heals everything_  
><em>But what of the wretched hollow<em>  
><em>The endless in-between<em>  
><em>Are we just going to wait it out?<em>

For the second straight week, Quinn comes home to an empty apartment. She has never known a more lonely feeling. She could solve this by looking for another roommate, but right now she just can't be bothered. Her opinion on living with a stranger hasn't changed since Puck first moved in. Besides, she doesn't feel much like sharing her house right now. As much as she hates being alone, a roommate would be even worse.

Money has become an issue, but just a few days after Puck left, Quinn decided that she was past the point in caring about her stupid pride. That's why she asked her parents to increase the amount they were giving her each month and they happily obliged. Now she doesn't need a roommate.

Quinn throws herself down onto the couch and sits there in silence. It isn't long before her mind wanders to Puck, as it often does these days. She thinks of when he told her he was leaving, right in this very spot. It was just two weeks ago, but it honestly felt like months. They've barely talked since he left. He called, though - and more than a few times. She answered just one of the calls and it was only to ask him to stop bothering her. She needed space and he needed to respect that. He told her he would. That was a week ago. They hadn't talked since.

She knows that she shouldn't keep pushing him away, but she's still so angry with him. He lied to her about something huge and it hurt. What hurt even more, though, was to know that he'd slept with her despite it all. If she'd known he was leaving, she never would have had even kissed him, let alone had sex with him. She wouldn't have allowed herself to open up that door because she would have known that it would lead nowhere. But she hadn't known, and so she did open it, and despite the great hope she'd had for them, it had still led nowhere. She knows that's partly her fault too - she's the one who pushed him away - but she wouldn't have pushed him away if she didn't have a good reason. And him lying to her for so long was certainly a good one.

There's a knock at the door. Quinn stays still, tempted to just ignore it. She isn't in the mood for visitors. But then she remembers that Rachel and Finn came back home from their honeymoon today, which means it's most likely Rachel at the door. Quinn is not exactly looking forward to telling Rachel all that has transpired since the wedding, but she supposes now is a good a time as any to get it over with.

Quinn trudges to the door, offering Rachel a small smile as she opens it. "You're home."

Rachel pulls her into a tight hug that lasts nearly a minute. "Finn told me that Puck was moving away," Rachel says as she pulls away. She looks up at Quinn sympathetically.

"I know," Quinn says, and she leads Rachel into the living room, where they both take seats on the couch. The fact that Finn had known that Puck was leaving before she did greatly bothered her. "I got your messages."

"Why didn't you call me back?"

"I wasn't really in the mood to talk."

"You really miss him," Rachel says understandingly.

Quinn's throat tightens. Really missing him is an understatement. But that's not something she wants to admit to herself, let alone Rachel, so she just nods.

"How are things between you then? Are you mad at him? Because I totally get it if you are. Not telling you until the very last minute was a really selfish thing for him to do."

"Yeah, it was."

"But you understand why he was leaving right? I mean, from what Finn told me, he didn't have any other choice."

"No," she murmurs, "he didn't."

As Rachel studies Quinn with narrowed eyes, Quinn tries to avoid her friend's sharp gaze. "There's more to this than you're letting on, Quinn," Rachel says. "Did something else happen before he left?"

Quinn doesn't say anything, just sits there in a numb silence. She thought talking about this would easier after awhile, but she's discovering now that the wounds are still fresh. Telling Rachel now is just as hard as it had been when she'd told Mercedes - which was pretty damn hard, especially after their first, so completely opposite conversation about Puck.

"Quinn?" Rachel looks worried now. Her hand creeps on top of Quinn's, squeezing it slightly. "Talk to me. Please."

Quinn just sighs. "We had sex."

Eyes wide, Rachel drops Quinn's hand. "What?"

"Puck and I had sex," Quinn says again, and there's anger creeping through her voice. "The night of your wedding, actually. And then just a few hours later he told me he was moving away."

"Oh, Quinn..." Rachel's arms are around her again, pulling her close. Quinn lets herself fall into Rachel's gentle hold, finding the comfort it brought more than welcome. "He's such an asshole," Rachel murmurs after a few moments.

Quinn is surprised at the smile that comes to her lips. "I always said he was. You just never believed me."

Rachel pulls back, a small smile on her own face. "But you love him despite that."

Quinn's smile falls. "Yeah," she says. "I do."

She realizes she is admitting to Rachel that she loved Puck - that she _still _loves him, but for some reason she can't bring herself to really care. He's gone now, so why does it matter who knows how she feels about him?

"That makes this much worse, then," Rachel says.

"It makes it a million times worse," Quinn admits. "I thought we were gonna be something. I thought that maybe...he was the one."

"He could still be the one, Quinn. You know he's going to come back, right? He's not going to be gone forever."

Quinn doesn't know what to say to that. She knows he wants to come back, but who knows if he really will? And if he does, it could be years from now and who knows where they'll stand then.

At Quinn's silence, Rachel continues, "You shouldn't give up on him, Quinn. You love him, which means that he's worth fighting for."

"I can't fight for him, Rachel. Not right now. I just...I need to forget about him. Focus on school and work. Because dealing with him is just pure drama and I can't deal with that stress..."

Rachel looks as if she wants to argue, but after a few seconds of internal debate she just nods her head. She gives Quinn an encouraging smile before wrapping her arms around Quinn, holding her tight.

"It'll all work out," Rachel murmurs into Quinn's ear. "I know it will. And you know that I'm always right."

Quinn just nods in response, but she can't help but think that for once Rachel might just be wrong on this one.

**888**

Life since Puck left New York has been pretty much the definition of boring. He doesn't like his job at all. Mostly he just sits around and files papers for six or seven hours. Sometimes there's literally nothing for him to do so he's basically forced to play solitaire the rest of the day, which was actually nice at first, but the game gets old pretty fast. But despite his dislike of the actual job, the pay is good and it's not like it's hard work. It's easy money and for that he's grateful.

Most of his free time is spent at home, locked in his room, playing video game after video game. The first couple weekends he was here, he went out with his old friends. They did pretty much the same thing they did in high school - hang around at bars and try to find a hot girl to hook up with. But Puck just couldn't get into it. He tried flirting, but it was forced and insincere and the girls could see that right off the bat. He felt it was pointless when the only girl he had any desire for was a hundred miles away. After awhile, he didn't even bother trying anymore. His friends teased him endlessly about it, but Puck ignored them. He didn't care what they thought anyway - most of them were pretty much living like they were still in high school (it really says something when Puck's the mature one in the group).

But now that he's been here over a month, Puck doesn't think that his life is going to get much better than this. So he resigns himself to the boring routines and looks forward to the day when he's able to go back to New York (he doesn't really know when that will be, but he knows it _will _happen and right now that's enough).

And now it's Saturday night and Puck's spending it the same way he's spent the last two weeks - in his bedroom playing Call of Duty. Jake, one of his old friends, called and asked him to go drinking with them, but Puck declined; drinking was boring when girls weren't involved and at this point, he _knows _no girls will be involved. Not unless Quinn shows up. That thought almost gets him a shot in his player's forehead.

"Noah!"

Puck doesn't even have time to blink as his fourteen year old sisters skips into the room and stands right in front of the TV.

"Abby!" He can't see it, but he can definitely hear his player being shot dead. And there goes his last three hours. "What the hell?"

She's looking at him weirdly. It resembles something of pity and amusement. He doesn't really understand why she'd be feeling either.

"It's time for an intervention, Noah," she says, completely ignoring his dismay. "All you've done since you moved back is mope around and play video games. You barely even talk to me and mom, and when you do, you act all depressed and barely say anything. It's annoying and kind of rude, but mostly it's just pathetic." He rolls his eyes and opens his mouth for his retort, but Abby doesn't let him get a word in. "Now I don't know why leaving New York was such a huge deal for you - which, I might add, is not my fault considering you won't talk about it - but I do know that you can't keep living like this. You're just so..._boring._"

"There's a lot of worse things to be," Puck argues. "Boring should be the least of your worries."

"But boring isn't _you_," Abby says. She gives him a sad smile as she sits next to him on his bed. "Yeah, it's probably better than going out and partying all the time like you used to, but at least then you actually seemed like you were _happy_. Now you're just floating through the day, acting like it's a chore to get up every morning. You're just...well, pointless."

He winces at her words. "Harsh."

But then guilt washes over him as his eyes fall to his lap. He hadn't really thought much about how his actions around his mom and sister, but now that Abby brought it up, he feels pretty bad. He knows that he has been withdrawn since returning home, to the point that he probably seems ungrateful for the opportunity he was given here. And he hates that because he truly is grateful - he just _really _misses the life he left behind in New York.

And, more than anything, he misses Quinn. They're still not speaking and he hates every minute of it. All he wants is for her to forgive him, but she just doesn't seem to be ready. It's frustrating for him, because he feels like she's overreacting big time, but at the same time he knows that she has the right to feel this way, to keep him away for a little while. He hurt her. And he hates himself for it.

It's not like Abby or his mom know anything about that, though. His mom knows a little about Quinn - that she was his roommate and they were pretty close. But he hasn't said much beyond that. So of course they wouldn't understand his behavior. He doesn't blame them for being worried. But he's not sure he wants to talk about it with them either. He's never really talked about girls with his mom or Abby, and even though this girl is on a whole other level than all the other girls he'd been with, he isn't sure he's ready to start now.

Abby looks up at Puck with sad eyes. "You can talk to me, Noah. I mean look at me - I tell you _everything_."

"Which is about a ninety-nine percent more than I want to know," Puck says, smirking. Abby tells him way too much about her private life, to the point that he's very tempted to beat up half of the boys in her class. He actually threatened one when he ran into the kid at the grocery store last week. Not that Abby knows this.

"Please just tell me what's going on," Abby says, and she looks desperate now. "I just wanna understand why you're so sad."

He sighs heavily. "It's..."

"If you say it's complicated I'll throw your X-Box out this window right now."

He rolls his eyes at her dramatic nature. "I wasn't going to say that." Actually, he was, which kind of sucks, because now he has to think of some other way to explain. It's true though, this situation _is _complicated.

Abby gives him an expectant look and he knows now that he has no choice.

"I was gonna say that it's been really hard being away from all the people I left behind. I grew really close to a lot of people, and I...I really miss them."

Abby's not gonna buy that. He doesn't even really buy it himself. Yeah, he misses his friends, but he still talks to them all the time. All except one, that is. But he's not sure he wants to explain that to Abby.

Just as he predicted, the answer doesn't satisfy his sister. "That's bullshit.

"Must you swear?" Puck says, grimacing at the ugly word coming out of her innocent mouth. Of course she isn't really the innocent ten year old kid she was when he first moved away anymore.

"I learned it from you. And you know I'm right. I mean, come on, Artie and those other two hot guys in that little band of yours came to visit you last week. Plus, I hear you talking to Artie all the time. It's not like you've been cut off from them all completely."

Puck doesn't say anything, irritated at his sister's pestering. But he won't give in. Because he's _not _going to talk to his little sister about his love life. That's where he draws the line.

"Fine," Abby says, standing up. "Obviously you aren't going to tell me."

"Finally figured that out, huh?"

She glares at him, but to his surprise says nothing. Instead she just shakes her head and walks out of his room, leaving him incredibly pleased with himself. Maybe talking about Quinn with someone else would make him feel a little better, but he just can't bring himself to do it right now.

He had talked about her a little with Finn, when he, Artie, and Sam came to town last weekend (Puck had been able to book them a gig at the club his friend's dad owned). But that conversation had been brief and tougher on Puck than he'd ever admit. Finn hadn't been incredibly helpful with it all, but Puck couldn't blame him; Finn had barely seen Quinn since returning from his honeymoon.

Grabbing the controller he'd flung off to the side during his sister's "intervention", he is just about to turn his X-Box back on, when Abby comes strolling back in. And, to add to his growing irritation, his mother is right on her heels.

Puck tosses the controller back onto the bed and stares at them both warily. "What now?"

"If you won't talk to me," Abby says, "then you _will _talk to mom."

And with that order, Abby leaves them alone.

His mother gives him a sympathetic look as she sits next to him on his bed. "Noah, your sister and I are worried about you."

"It's no big deal, mom. Seriously, I'm fine. I'm just missing New York, that's all."

"I understand that it's hard coming back home and leave all you friends behind. I know it must also be very frustrating to have to live under my rules again and to lose some of that freedom you had while living out on your own. But I also know it's not enough to cause the behavior I've been seeing from you these past few weeks. There's something else going on, Noah, and holding it all in is just making it worse."

His hands run along the back of his neck tiredly. He feels like he's been forced into a corner and now has no choice but to open up.

"If I tell you will you promise to just let it go?"

She nods her head, looking eager to see what he has to say. "Yes. For now, at least."

"Alright. It's just..." He looks down at his hands, feeling suddenly pathetic for letting a girl control his emotions like this. "It's so stupid..."

"I'm sure it's not," his mother says. She takes his hand and squeezes it in a sign of support. Now he feels like even more of a wuss.

He decides to just spit it out, because the sooner he does the sooner this torment will be over. "It's a girl."

His mother closes her eyes, a small smile coming to her face as she just shakes her head. Is he wrong or does she think this is funny? "A girl. Really?"

"Is that so surprising?"

"Well, to be honest, yes. You had a new girlfriend every week in high school, but none of them were ever worth actually talking about to me."

"I'm not in high school anymore, mom," he says, trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.

His mom seems to sense it; her smile disappears and she turns serious once more. "I know you aren't. Now tell me about her, Noah. Have I ever met her?"

"No. But I've told you about her before. She was the girl I was living with before I moved home."

"The Quinn girl? Didn't you say you were just friends?"

"We were. For way too long, actually. We had a chance to be together, but I screwed things up. I didn't tell her I was leaving until the day before I actually was. So now she pretty much hates me for lying to her about it."

His mom stares at him with narrowed eyes. "Why on earth did you wait so long to tell her?"

"Because I'm a moron."

"Obviously." At his glare, his mom chuckles lightly and pats his back. "It was stupid thing to do, Noah. But I'm guessing there's more to it than you're telling me."

He thinks of the events that occurred the night before he left. He decides it's better to leave out taking Quinn's virginity, because sex is the last thing he wants to talk to his mom about. "Yeah, but it's not really something I want to discuss with you...if you know what I mean."

His mom just looks confused. "I don't."

"Don't worry about it," he says with a sigh. "All that really matters is that she's not talking to me."

"Have you thought about going to see her? You have the weekends off and you have plenty of gas money."

"Of course I've thought about it," he answers irritably. "But she told me she needed space and that I needed to respect that. I can't just barge back into her life without her permission. It'll just make things worse."

"I suppose so...Well, Noah, I don't know what else to tell you other than to be patient. If things are meant to be between you two, then everything will work out in the end."

He is tempted to roll his eyes at that, because he has always hated the 'meant to be, everything working out in the end' crap, but instead he just nods, knowing that his mother was only trying to help. "Yeah."

His mother stands. She looks down at him with a small smile and pats his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me, Noah. It puts my mind at ease to know what's going on. I really was worried about you."

"I'll be okay, mom," he says.

"I know you will." His mother turns to leave pausing at the doorway. "One more thing."

He releases an irritated sigh. "Yeah?"

"Is she Jewish?"

Puck just laughs, because after this conversation, he's so not explaining _that_ issue to his mom tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hopefully this chapter didn't bore you too much. Like I said, it's more of an intermission than anything. Next chapter will get things going again.**

**Now before you go, I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I've officially caught up with myself. This is the last complete chapter that's completely written. The good news is that I've got a good chunk of chapter 8 already written, so I shouldn't take much longer than usual to update. After that, though, updating is going to be a little slower. Hopefully not **_**that **_**much slower, but I'm not as fast at writing as I used to be! **

**Until next time, thanks for reading and remember to review!**


	8. Pretend

**A/N: I'm really sorry for the wait! It took me longer than I thought it would to finish the chapter and to make it worse, my internet crashed yesterday and I only got it back a few hours ago. I hope that you'll all forgive me once you've finished the chapter…I've got a feeling you're all really going to like this one.**

**Chapter lyrics and title come from a song by Lights.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: <em>Pretend<em>**

_It would be nice to start over again_  
><em>Before we were men<em>  
><em>I'd give, I'd bend, let's play pretend<em>  
><em>And when it's the end,<em>  
><em>Our lives will make sense<em>  
><em>We'll love, we'll bend, let's play pretend<em>

Three more weeks pass and Puck isn't feeling as bad as before. Surprisingly, the talk with his mom had helped him cope. It made him feel a little better to know that she understood what was going on and was there if he needed to talk. Of course he doesn't _need _to talk, nor does he want to, but it's still nice to know he has the option.

"Hey, Noah."

Puck quickly jumps a little in surprise as Anna, the secretary at his work, pokes her head behind him. He quickly exits out of Facebook and returns to the spreadsheet he was supposed to be working on, but he knows it's too late; Anna saw him.

Luckily for him, Anna has taken a great liking to him. He uses this to his advantage, sending her a cool, collected smile as he twists his chair around to face her.

"I was only on it for five minutes." More like a half hour, but he was stuck on Quinn's page trying to see what she was up to. Unfortunately, she is rarely ever on Facebook, so he hasn't been able to gather anything of substance.

She just shrugs. "You think I care? I'm on it half the day anyway."

"Arnold should really fire you," he says with a grin.

"I'm sure he would, if I weren't so easy on the eyes. Anyway, _you_ should be the one worrying about getting fired. I don't think he likes you much."

"Nah, he's got the hots for my mom. If he fires me, he'll never be able to get into her pants." Realizing what he just said, his face scrunches up in disgust.

Anna releases a throaty chuckle as she leans against his desk. Her tight dark blue dress rides up, making it impossible for his eyes not to travel down her long, tan legs, before moving back up to her even more attractive chest, which is now level with his eyes. He can't help but stare. It's been awhile since he's gotten any action, so who can blame him for wanting to soak in the beautiful sight before him?

Then he remembers Quinn and moves his eyes to Anna's face. "So...what's up?"

She smiles down at him. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"About you and me getting a little more...acquainted. I mean, you've been here for almost two months now. And you can't deny, there's been sparks between us since day one."

He is tempted to roll his eyes, because he doesn't think that at all. Yeah, he thinks Anna is hot - what sane, straight guy wouldn't - but that doesn't mean there are _sparks_. But since he doesn't want to hurt Anna's feelings, he just keeps his face blank.

"So what do you say you and I go out tonight after work? We'll grab a few beers, talk a little bit, get to really know each other, and...well, we'll see where things lead from there." She raises her eyebrows suggestively at that.

It would be a lie to say he isn't tempted by her offer. Anna is exactly the type of girl he'd go for in his pre-Quinn days. But he knows that even without Quinn in the equation, sleeping with Anna would be a really bad idea. They work together, meaning they're around each other every day, and that would only lead to awkwardness and her wanting more from him.

Still...he likes Anna. She's always entertaining and in his bore of a life he can always use some of that. So he finds himself agreeing.

"Fine. But only drinks. I'm not interested in anything more than that."

Anna looks genuinely confused. "Why not?"

"I'm just not. Let's leave it at that."

She doesn't look very happy at this, but after a few moments of decision she nods. "Fine. Just drinks. But if you change your mind, don't blame me. I hear I'm quite irresistible."

Puck grins. "We'll see about that."

**888**

Things are not going so great for Quinn. Just when she thinks she's finally getting over everything, her whole life is turned upside down once more.

She waits on the edge of her bed, feeling sick to her stomach. Her palms are sweaty, her face is burning up, and she holds back the vile that is making its way up her throat. She has already thrown up three times this morning and she's not at all interested in letting it happen again. Her eyes travel over to the clock on her nightstand. 3:52. It's time.

She stands up and walks slowly out into the hall and into the bathroom. She leans against the sink, her hands gripping the side of it so hard her knuckles are white, and stares at herself in the mirror. Her skin is pale, matching the dark circles under her eyes. She hasn't gotten much sleep the past few days. Nausea pours over her once more and she lowers herself onto the floor, right next to the toilet - just in case.

Her hands slip towards the edge of the bathtub, where the test that holds her fate sits. She holds it in her hand for a moment before twisting it around and receiving her answer.

Her head falls into her hands as the tears start to fall. She doesn't know why she's so surprised. It's not like she didn't know this was coming. She'd started suspecting a few weeks ago, when she'd realized she missed her period. Her suspicions grew into serious worries when she started throwing up a week ago. Since then she tried to deny it, but it became too much. She needed to know for sure if this was happening.

And now she knows.

She's pregnant.

Through her sobs, she lets out a choking laugh at the irony of it all. She has sex _one _time and ends up pregnant. She thinks of Rachel, who has been with Finn for five years, has been having sex with him for almost as long, and not even once has had a single scare. Or Santana, who has been with guy after guy and yet has never had any baby drama. And Quinn gets pregnant her first time. How in the hell is that fair?

They'd been safe. She saw Puck put on the condom. Of course she wasn't on birth control, so maybe that played a factor in it, but still, they should have been okay. This shouldn't be happening.

She grits her teeth as the anger rises in her. Before she knows it the pregnancy test is out of her hand and smacked against the wall. It falls to the ground, perfectly intact. Her sobs deepen. What had she done to deserve this?

She feels like she's living in a bad dream. This can't really be happening to her. She's a good girl, after all. She's lived a good life; a straight-A student all through high school and college so far, the perfect daughter, and a good Christian. She slipped up once - just _once _- and suddenly life as she knew it is over.

It could be a whole lot worse, she knows that. She's twenty-two years old, has a decent job, and friends who will support her no matter what. There's a possibility that she can still go to school, at least until she has the baby, and by then she might even have her degree. And she knows that Puck will be there for her too, if she lets him, and of course she will.

But those things won't really matter once parents find out. Because when they do, they will disown her. She knows that without a shadow of a doubt. She's not married. That's all that will matter to them. She had sex outside of marriage and she got what she deserved. Now she'll have to pay the price. No sympathy, no support. Quinn doesn't need to be a psychic to know that; she just needs to know her parents.

And when her parents disown her, she'll lose the money she needs to keep the apartment. Not only that, she'll lose the money they were paying for her school. And to her, that's basically taking away her whole life.

The tears continue to fall down her cheeks like a waterfall. She leans her head against the cupboard under the sinks and takes slow breathes, trying to hold back her sobs. She hates how weak crying makes her feel, she always has, and today it makes her feel even worse. She feels like she's lost control over her life, and if there's one thing Quinn Fabray needs, it's control.

The breathing helps calm her down. She wipes at her damp eyes with her equally damp sleeve and tries to take back full control of her emotions. She has to be positive about this. If she only thinks about the negative, she'll go crazy. Unfortunately for her, though, there aren't really any pros to this situation. Not right now, anyway. Maybe someday she'll be able to accept it, maybe even be happy about it, but right now, she can only see the darkness.

And the crying starts again.

**888**

When Puck wakes up the next morning, it's to a pounding headache and a redheaded girl sleeping soundly next to him. He groans as he remembers last night. So much for just drinks.

He isn't sure how or when he gave into Anna's never-ending come ons, just that he obviously did. And he isn't very happy about it. Things are going to weird between them at work. She'll probably keep coming on to him, and he'll have to keep pushing her away with no excuses why. Because there's no way he's going to explain to her why he's not interested.

Puck slips out of the bed as quietly as he can. He pulls on his shirt and pants and feels extra grateful that it's a Saturday, because that means he won't have to deal with Anna until Monday.

But just as he's about to make it out the door - of _course_ - she has to wake up.

"Where're you going?" her groggy voice calls.

He stops, his eyes nearly rolling in to the back of his head. He really does _not _want to talk to Anna right now.

He doesn't bother to turn around. "Home."

"But I planned on having a _lot _more fun with you."

He twists his head around with a sigh. He doesn't want to be a jerk, but at this rate it's going to be tough not to. "I'm not interested. I told you that."

Anna kinks an eyebrow and lets the covers slip off her body, leaving nothing to the imagination. He swallows hard and focuses on her face.

"You also told me that we were just going out for drinks," she says, pulling herself out of the bed and walking slowly towards him. "And look how that turned out."

"Alcohol is my weakness," he says with a shrug. "But it won't happen again."

She gives a light laugh as she stands in front of him. Her hand reaches up to rest behind the back of his neck, pulling his head towards hers. "Why are you so against it, Noah?"

He pulls away from her grasp and turns away. "I've gotta go."

He isn't interested in explaining that the reason he's so against continuing any sort of relationship with her is because he's in love with a girl who won't even talk to him. Somehow he doesn't think she'll understand.

"Are you with someone?" she asks just as he's about to finally get away. "Because that's the only excuse I'd accept. That or you're gay, but judging from last night, I think we can definitely rule that out."

Puck sighs; he knew she wouldn't let this go. "Look, my love life is...complicated at best. And that's all you really need to know."

"That doesn't answer any of my questions," Anna says, looking put out.

"Well, this should answer it all - I'm not interested in dating, sex, or anything in between. Sorry."

This time he doesn't give her time for a response. He slips out the door and makes his way out of her tiny apartment as fast as he can. As he reaches the elevator at the end of the hall, his cell phone rings. His heart does a little jump, as it always does lately whenever his phone rings. There's always that hope that the person on the other end of the line is going to be Quinn. It never is. And today is no different.

"Hey, Artie," he answers with a sigh.

"Don't get so excited," Artie replies with obvious sarcasm. "It's just little old me."

"Sorry," Puck says, trying his best to sound a little more enthusiastic about talking to the best friend he rarely ever sees anymore. "It's just been a weird morning."

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not. So what's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much...Bought a new TV last week. It's a flat screen, so that's pretty cool. Oh, and Finn got us a gig at Mercury Lounge tonight...so you know, same old, same old."

Puck's mouth drops. "Did you just say Finn got us a gig at the _Mercury Lounge_?"

"I did."

The elevator stops and he exits, a huge smile on his face as he leaves the building. This is definitely making up for last night. "How the hell did he manage that?"

The Mercury Lounge was one of the hottest clubs in New York. Most of the bands that got gigs there were up and coming, so to get to perform there was not a small thing.

"I guess his cousin is a bartender there. One of the bands that was supposed to perform tonight dropped out at the last minute. Finn's cousin saw us at the wedding and thought we were good enough to play, so he called Finn up and asked if we'd be interested. Of course he couldn't turn him down."

"Obviously not. It's the opportunity of a lifetime."

"It's paying 500 bucks," Artie adds.

Puck doesn't care about the money; just getting to play there was enough for him. "So I guess I'm coming to New York tonight."

"You think you can be here in a few hours? We haven't practiced since the three of us came to see you last month, so we obviously need all the time we can get."

"Yeah, I've just gotta get home and pack, but I'll try to leave within the next hour. I should be in the city by 12 at the latest."

"Sounds good."

Puck bids him goodbye before hailing a taxi and heading home. He can't believe this is really happening. Not only is he getting to play the Mercury Lounge, but he's going back to New York. And at that thought he thinks of the person he misses the most out of all those he left behind. He wonders if Quinn will come to the show. He hasn't talked to her since she told him to give her space, but he thinks that she has to be getting over everything. It's been almost two months after all.

All Puck knows is that there's no way he can go back to New York and not see her. If she doesn't come to the show, then he's pretty sure he won't be able to stop himself from going to her place and seeing where she stands with him. One thing's for sure - he's at least going to call her and tell her he's coming to New York for the weekend. He doubts she'll answer, but at least she'll know he wants her to come.

It only takes Puck ten minutes to get ready when he gets back to his mom's house, and that includes a shower. He tells his mom his plans for the weekend and she gives him a knowing look, probably thinking of Quinn, before giving him the keys to her car. Puck sold his old truck before he first moved to New York because he needed as much money as he could get. So now that he's back again he's carless, which is the main reason he hasn't gone back to New York until now.

As Puck loads up his mom's car and drives back to the place he considers home, he just hopes that some sort of progress will be made with Quinn this weekend. Because he can't go much longer without talking to her. He needs things between them to be right, and he's going to do all he can to make it happen.

**888**

Quinn spends all of Friday in bed. Half of the time she's crying, the other half she's sleeping. When she wakes up Saturday morning, her head is cloudy and muddled. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she had a hangover. But of course she doesn't. She can't drink now. She's pregnant.

She lies in bed and stares at the ceiling with dull eyes. At least she's not crying at the thought of it all anymore. That's a start.

The light on her cell phone keeps flickering, signaling that she has messages. She's sure they're all from Rachel, whose many calls Quinn ignored last night. Rachel's probably worried, but Quinn can't really bring herself to care. She can't deal with Rachel right now. Because dealing with Rachel means telling her she's pregnant and Quinn's barely even ready to admit to herself that she really is, let alone admit it to someone else.

She picks up her phone and glances at the missed calls. Four from Rachel and two from Finn (probably Rachel calling on his phone). Her eyes narrow as she sees the last one. Puck.

Why is he calling her? She finds his timing oddly perfect, considering what she just learned yesterday. But that doesn't mean she wants to talk to him. In fact, he's the _last _person she wants to talk to right now. She knows it's not just his fault she's in this situation, but right now she needs somebody to blame other than herself, so naturally that person is him.

Still, she can't resist figuring out why he called, so after she has listened to all of Rachel's messages ("What's going on?...Are you ignoring me?...Okay, this is getting annoying...Quinn Fabray, you answer the damn phone or else!"), she finds herself hearing his voice for the first time in weeks.

"Quinn. Hey, it's me...Puck, I mean. I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be in New York tonight and tomorrow. Finn got us a gig at the Mercury Lounge, and we're playing tonight at eleven. I know you said you wanted me to give you space, but I just had to invite you tonight, because it's a big deal and...I'd just really like you there. If you can't come, I understand, but I had to let you know. So I guess I'll hopefully see you tonight."

She raises an eyebrow at Mercury Lounge. That's a well-known club. Not just anyone got to play there. She wonders how they managed that.

Unable to help herself, she listens to the message two more times (because as angry as she is with him right now, she misses the sound of his voice even more). She's tempted to listen one more time, but a loud knocking at her front door saves her from giving in. Even from her bedroom, she can hear Rachel's loud voice calling to open the door. She doesn't sound happy.

Quinn knows she can't keep avoiding Rachel, so she heaves herself up and drags herself to the front door. When she opens it, Rachel is staring at her with a menacing glare.

"Is there any particular reason you're ignoring me?" she asks.

Quinn folds her arms over her chest and shrugs. "I didn't realize I was."

"I called you five times last night!"

"My phone's dead," Quinn lies.

Rachel does not look convinced. "Then how come it didn't go straight to voice mail?"

Quinn's at a loss at this, so she decides to try to get on Rachel's good side and invites her in. Rachel relaxes a little at that. She follows Quinn inside and sits down in the fluffy arm chair.

"I was worried about you, Quinn. You're not one to ignore calls. I almost came by last night, but Finn insisted I was being overdramatic and it was past midnight, so I decided not to."

"You _were_ being overdramatic," Quinn says, flopping down on the couch across from Rachel. "I was fine."

"But your phone wasn't dead, so you were ignoring me, which means _something _was going on."

Quinn sighs as she tries to think of something to stop Rachel's questions. "It was no big deal, Rachel. My dad just called last night bothering me about school stuff again and the conversation was so draining that I just needed some time to myself afterwards."

She isn't sure Rachel buys this story one hundred percent, but she seems to buy it enough to let up on the topic. "Will you at least promise to let me know the next time you decide to lock yourself away from the rest of the world?"

Quinn forces a reassuring smile. "Sure."

Rachel looks happy at her answer. "Good. Then let's move on to another topic, shall we? I woke up this morning to Finn practically bouncing off the walls. It turns out that he and the band got a gig at the-"

"Mercury Lounge," Quinn says. "I know."

Rachel raises an eyebrow. "You know? How?"

Quinn braces herself for the repercussions of what she's about to say. "Puck called earlier to tell me."

"Puck called?" Rachel's lips twist into a big smile. "You talked to him?"

"No, I was ignoring the world, remember? He left a message."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much. Just what time they were going on, and that he really hoped I would come, but he'd understand if I didn't."

Rachel gives Quinn a sturdy look. "You _are _coming, aren't you?"

"I don't know," Quinn says with a tired sigh. She hadn't had much time to think about it before Rachel came knocking at her door. She really doesn't want to, but somehow she feels like she's going to be forced into it anyway. "They're on at eleven, which is really late for me. I've got to get up early for church tomorrow and then I've got work most of the afternoon and I...I'm just not sure."

"So don't go to church," Rachel says. "You go every single week, so what's wrong with taking one Sunday off?"

Truthfully, Quinn isn't planning on going to church. After her little news yesterday, she doesn't feel like the best Christian and going to church is probably just going to make her feel even worse, but that doesn't mean she wants Rachel to know that.

"I'm not going to skip church because I was up most of the night at a club. Sorry."

"Oh, come on, Quinn." Rachel looks agitated again. "Puck is going to be there. Think about how much you've missed him."

"I haven't-"

"Oh, shut up. You and I both know you've missed him like crazy. I know you're probably still a little mad at him, but don't you think it's time you got over it?"

"I am over it," Quinn angrily defends. And for the most part, she is. It's this new little issue that's taking over now. The tears are starting to well up and she looks down, avoiding Rachel's gaze.

"Then why won't you see him?"

"I just...I can't."

"But _why_?"

"You wouldn't understand, Rachel," Quinn says. She feels a few tears slip down her cheek and furtively wipes it away with her sleeve.

Unfortunately for Quinn, Rachel seems to have noticed the tears. She leaps up from her chair and sits next to Quinn, wrapping an arm around her and gazing gently up at her.

"What's going on, Quinn? And don't tell me the crap you told me earlier. I'm not buying it."

Since Quinn knows there's no way Rachel is going to give up now, she decides that as much as it may hurt to tell her, she might as well tell her the truth.

So she does. "I'm pregnant."

Rachel freezes. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is hanging half open. For a few moments, neither says anything.

"Pregnant?" Rachel finally squeaks out. Quinn just nods. Rachel lets out a long breath. "Okay, _now_ I understand."

Quinn looks down at her hands, not knowing what else to say. She just feels so ashamed. But then Rachel is pulling her into a tight hug, her arms running soothingly up and down Quinn's back, and suddenly she feels just a little bit better.

"I know this is going to be hard," Rachel says, "but you're not alone. I'm here for you." She pulls slightly away from Quinn and looks her straight in the eyes. "And you know this doesn't make me think any less of you, right?"

Quinn's throat tightens up a little as she gives a tight nod. She thinks if she says anything now she'll start crying, and she's had enough crying these past 12 hours to last a lifetime.

"Because I know you're probably beating yourself up about this, thinking that you're a horrible Christian, and that your parents will be so ashamed, but you can't think like that, Quinn. You're human, just like the rest of us. We all make mistakes. No one expects you to be perfect."

"I know," Quinn murmurs. She leans her head on Rachel's shoulder. She didn't expect for Rachel's words to give her much comfort, but for some reason she's finding herself calming down.

A silence falls between them again. Rachel breaks it after a minute. "I know I don't even have to ask if you're going through with the pregnancy. But what do you think you're going to do once it's born? Do you think you'll keep it?"

In between her crying fits last night, Quinn had thought a little about that very question. She hadn't come to a final conclusion yet, but she assumes now she probably will. "I don't know for sure yet...but I think so. I mean, it would be different if I was a young kid, still in high school and all that. But I'm twenty-two years old. I've got a decent job and I'm almost done with school. I'm definitely capable of raising a child."

"I think so too," Rachel says. "And you've always wanted to be a mother, right? Ever since I've known you, you wanted that."

"Yeah," Quinn says. As a child, she dreamed of growing up, getting married to the perfect guy, and having lots of adorable babies - in that order, of course. "This just wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

Rachel rubs Quinn's back. "Puck will be there for you."

She isn't sure she wants to think about Puck right now. The idea of telling him makes her nauseous. "I'm not telling him this weekend, Rachel. I'm just...I'm not ready."

Rachel nods slowly, giving her a soft smile. "I understand. But you'll tell him soon right? You won't let this turn into one of those clichés where he doesn't find out until he sees you years later with a child that looks like him?"

Quinn manages a small chuckle. "No, I won't. I'll tell him soon. I just need a few weeks to digest this myself."

"Okay," Rachel says with a grin. "As long as I know that. Do you think you'll at least come tonight?"

"I don't know. I need to think about it."

"I'll be with you the whole night. I won't let him pull you off to the side to talk. Not unless you want me to. I just think it would mean a lot for him to at least know you're there and that you aren't mad at him anymore."

"But I kind of am," Quinn admits.

"I know, but at least he can see that you're not as angry as before. He's probably going crazy not knowing how you feel."

Quinn sighs, knowing that Rachel is most likely not going to give up on this topic either. "Fine. I'll go. But just for an hour. I'm not really in the mood for clubs."

Rachel beams at her. "An hour is good enough for me."

Quinn doesn't know for sure if this is a good idea, but she has to do it. Because she may be angry with him right now, but the idea of seeing him, if only from a distance is more appealing than she'd like to admit. And it's also something she needs to do - for him more than anyone else.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Surprised? I hope not. I felt like it was kind of obvious that I was heading in this direction. I know it's kind of cliché (okay it's **_**really **_**cliché) but like I said in an earlier author's note, I like to think that some things are inevitable between these two - and Beth is one of those things. **

**Okay, so onto other business. Like I said last chapter, I've caught up with myself, which means that I don't have any of chapter 9 written yet. That also means it's probably going to be about a week until I update next. **_**However…**_**if I get a lot of reviews, it tends to make me write faster…so I may just update sooner than planned (yes, I'm aware I'm totally trying to bribe you guys for reviews :D). **


	9. Out of Reach

**A/N: It took me longer than I intended to write this chapter, and I'm sorry about that. About half way in, I decided I really wasn't happy with the way it was turning out so I basically had to start from scratch. I'm still not 100% thrilled about the result, but trust me, it's a whole lot better than it was going to be.**

**On another note, you guys have got this story to over 100 reviews! Thank you to each and everyone who took the time to review throughout this story – you all are incredible! Now let's get to 200, shall we? :D**

**Chapter title and lyrics come from a great song by Matthew Perryman Jones.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: <em>Out of Reach<em>**

_We keep talking in circles__  
><em>_Staring out with empty eyes__  
><em>_Wanting to be known again__  
><em>_So afraid of letting in__  
><em>_So do we leave it all to history?__  
><em>_Will you ever answer me?__  
><em>_Do you still recognize my voice?__  
><em>_Or is it lost among the noise? _

It feels incredibly amazing to be back in the city. If Puck hadn't known that this was the place he was meant to live in before, he knows it now. He back in the place that excites him, that challenges him, and, more than anything, gives him a sense of purpose.

There are also the friends he left behind. It feels pretty awesome to see Artie, Finn, and Sam again. The almost six months they had together as a band bonded him pretty closely to Finn and Sam, and he now felt almost as close to them as he was to Artie. They welcome him back with open arms, something Puck is more than grateful for. Their band is pretty serious and they easily could have found another guitarist to take Puck's place, at least until Puck moved back home, but they didn't because, as they told Puck, the band wouldn't be the same without him. That means more to Puck than they could ever know.

"So where's the wife?" Puck asks Finn as he pulls out his guitar. They're at their usual practice spot - Finn and Rachel's apartment.

Finn starts tapping the bass drum, looking distracted. "She's at Quinn's."

The mention of Quinn gets Puck's heart racing. It's strange to think that he's so close to her again, and yet he doesn't know if he'll even get to see her.

"Speaking of Quinn," Artie says, rolling up behind Puck. "Have you two made any progress at all since we last talked?"

"No," Puck says with a sigh.

"Do you think she'll come tonight?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. I hope so."

"Rachel's been at Quinn's house for almost four hours now," Finn mentions. "They're probably busy talking about you."

Puck tries not to think about that, knowing that Finn's probably at least partially right. He just wishes he could be the one talking with Quinn rather than her talking about him with someone else.

Sam smirks over at Puck. "My money's on you two hooking up again this weekend."

"Now _that _would be interesting," Artie says.

"And virtually impossible," Puck says. "Quinn's not gonna be interested in hooking up again. Not anytime soon. And it's probably for the best."

"I agree," Finn says. A serious look crosses his face and Puck can tell this isn't just a friendly conversation anymore. "I haven't seen Quinn a whole lot since Rachel and I came back from our honeymoon, but the few time I have seen her she wasn't herself. This whole thing between you and her took a toll on her. I mean, you took her virginity, man. To Quinn that's a _huge _deal."

"Yeah," Sam agrees, "she wouldn't even let me touch her thighs in high school, let alone...well, you know."

Puck tries very hard to ignore that (because the idea of Sam touching Quinn makes his face heat up), and focuses on Finn, who continues, "My point is that you took something sacred from her and she probably feels like you took advantage of it. It's gonna take awhile for her to really get over it and a _lot _more patience on your part."

"I know," Puck agrees.

Puck stares down at the ground and the guilt that he's felt these past few months rises up again. He suddenly wishes he and Finn were talking in private rather than in front of Artie and Sam. As much as he loves the two of them, they don't understand his relationship with Quinn like Finn seems to.

"It'll be okay, though," Finn adds, as if sensing Puck's shame. "You two are meant for each other."

Puck doesn't know what to say about it, so he just strums idly on his guitar.

Finn grins as he starts beating his drums. "Enough girl talk. Let's practice."

Artie laughs as he nods his head in agreement. "Lord knows we need it."

**888**

As the day goes slowly by and eleven o'clock comes closer and closer, Quinn is starting to have second thoughts about going tonight. She spent a majority of the day with Rachel, who seemed to take it upon herself to distract Quinn from both the thoughts of tonight and her pregnancy. But after dinner, Rachel said it was time for her to go home and get ready. Now Quinn is left alone with her thoughts, which of course means she's worrying about seeing Puck again tonight.

She doesn't know why the thought of seeing him leaves her so nervous. It's not like _he _is the one angry with her. Really, he should be the nervous one and she should be the one in control of the situation. Somehow, though, she feels like it's now the other way around. And she doesn't like it at all. She thought that when she saw Puck again it would be under her own terms and, above all, it would be when she's ready. And she's definitely not ready tonight.

Quinn spends the next few hours trying to find something to wear. It's proving to be a challenging task as nothing looks good. She thinks that maybe after she puts on some makeup she'll look a little better, but she finds it doesn't help much once she starts trying things on again.

At ten on the dot, Rachel is knocking on her door once again. Quinn greets her with a scowl. "I can't go."

Rachel, who of course looks absolutely amazing in her tight, knee length light blue dress, gives her a wary look. "Why not?"

"Look at me." Quinn points to herself as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I look like crap."

"Maybe that's because you're in a t-shirt and sweatpants and there's mascara smudged all over your face. But you're obviously not going to wear that tonight."

"Well, it's better than anything else I have." Quinn stalks into the living room and dumps herself onto the couch.

"I'm sure it isn't," Rachel says, following her inside. "Do you want me to pick out something for you?"

"Yeah, because I'd really love fashion advice from the girl who used to dress like a toddler."

Rachel smirks at her. "_Used _to being the key words."

Quinn lets out a sigh of frustration. "I just don't know if I can do this, Rachel. I'm not ready to see him."

"I figured this wasn't really about clothes," Rachel says as she takes a seat next to Quinn.

"I have to do this for him," Quinn continues, "I know I do. It's just that after I found out..." She pauses, the idea of saying _pregnant_ aloud making it feel all too real once more. "I just feel like my life took a complete one eighty and all the progress I'd made towards forgiving him flew out the window."

"You don't need to explain," Rachel says. "I get it. Look, I don't think tonight's going to be easy, but I don't think it's going to be as hard as you think either. You just need to stop worrying about it, because I guarantee you that's only going to make things worse."

She _wishes_ she could stop worrying - it would make things a whole lot easier - but unfortunately it's in her nature to worry. She isn't quite sure how to stop, other than to get whatever she's worrying about over with. That's one of the reasons she knows she has to go tonight. It's inevitable that she's going to see him again, so why not get it over with tonight?

Rachel stands up and gives her a small smile. "Come on. Let's find you something nice to wear."

Quinn snorts. "I'm not sure that's possible."

"Oh, stop the pity party, Fabray." Rachel reaches for Quinn's hand and pulls her off of the couch, giving her a stern look that tells Quinn she feels far from sorry for her. "You and I both know that you look beautiful in anything. I mean look at you - you even pull off the sweats look."

Quinn's lips curl into a grin as she lets Rachel rather forcefully into her room. "I kind of do, don't I?"

Rachel beams at her. "You so do."

**888**

Puck isn't one to get nervous before shows. Playing music, even in front of a large crowd, has always been a relaxing activity for him. But tonight he's playing at a pretty well-known venue and that alone is enough to earn a few butterflies in his stomach. Add that to the fact that he's going to be seeing Quinn tonight (Rachel confirmed this when she came home), and he's feeling like he might throw up.

"You okay?" Artie asks.

They're backstage now, with only a few minutes left until show time. Rachel popped by a few minutes ago to wish them luck, which means that Quinn is in the building. The thought of that makes his heart pound a million times a minute.

"Yeah." Puck wipes at the back of his neck, where he finds far too much sweat for his liking.

"You look nervous."

Puck smirks down at him. "Thanks for pointing that out."

Artie crosses his arms. "You never get nervous."

"Tonight's a big deal," he says simply, and Puck can tell from the look on Artie's fact that he knows he's talking about much more than the concert.

"Things with Quinn will work out," Artie says patiently. "But do me a favor? When we get out there, try to push her out of her mind, because we can't afford to screw up tonight because our minds are on other things."

"I know," Puck says, although he isn't sure it'll be possible to keep his mind 100% Quinn free, especially since chances are he's going to see her out in the crowd. But he has to try. "I'll do my best."

A few seconds later, their band is being announced on stage and Finn is walking out, followed by Sam, who rolls out Artie. Puck takes a few calming breathes and prays that he won't screw up before following his band mates.

He's immediately grateful for the bright lights that practically blind him as he finds his place center stage. The crowd is loud, but he can barely make out the people in the audience, which is good because he's the lead singer, meaning all the focus is on him. And it makes it a whole lot easier to concentrate if he can't see anyone else.

"Hello Mercury Lounge," he says into the mike. He finds his confidence rising as he takes a few experimental strums on his electric guitar. "You guys ready for some good music?"

He is greeted with an enthusiastic applause and grins head to toe, lost in the magic of this moment. He glances back at Finn, who looks just as awestruck as he feels.

"Let's do this."

**888**

Quinn and Rachel arrive at the club at a quarter to eleven. Rachel says she wants to go wish the boys good luck, leaving Quinn by herself for a few minutes. She finds herself a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. She never really liked clubs much and tonight she likes them even less.

"Quinn!" a familiar voice calls. "Over here."

Her eyes move through the crowd and soon land on Santana, who is making her way over to her. Quinn meets her half way and Santana loops her arm through hers.

"Come on, we're trying to get a spot close to the stage."

Quinn isn't sure how she feels about that at all. She was thinking she'd find a nice, safe spot near the back, where she could easily escape if the nerves got too much. But the grip Santana's got on her arm is too hard to protest, so she soon finds herself standing behind the speakers with Santana, Brittany, and Tina.

"Hey, Quinn!" Tina says, pulling Quinn into a tight hug. "Long time, no see."

Quinn gives her first sincere smile of the night. She and Tina had grown to be good friends during the time Puck lived with her. It was impossible not to, since Artie came over a lot, and often brought Tina with him.

"It's been since the wedding, hasn't it?"

Tina nods. "Which is way too long."

"I agree," Quinn says. She does feel really bad for basically ignoring Tina (and all her other friends) these past few months, although for the most part it wasn't intentional.

"Let's hang out sometime soon, okay? Preferably at your place. I miss your cooking."

Quinn laughs. "Of course."

"I think Quinn is avoiding people," Santana says, "because I haven't seen her since the wedding either."

"I haven't been doing it on purpose," Quinn says. "I've just been really busy."

Santana smirks. "Lamest excuse _ever_."

"It's true," Quinn says with a shrug.

"_Mhmm_."

Quinn rolls her eyes and gives Santana a friendly nudge in the ribs. Santana is just giving her a hard time, as always.

"There you guys are!" Rachel looks a bit annoyed as she squeezes between Quinn and Santana. "I've been looking all over for you. They should be going on any minute now."

Quinn wrings her hands together nervously. Sensing her anxiety, Rachel puts an arm around her. "We can go sit in the back if you want," she says quietly enough so that the others don't hear.

As much as Quinn would love to, she doesn't really want to bring attention to herself by leaving. Santana and the others don't know what happened between her and Puck, which means they won't understand her odd behavior, and she really doesn't want them to start asking questions.

"I'm fine," she says.

"Are you sure?"

Quinn takes a deep breath. "Yeah."

The lights over the crowd dim and a man walks on stage. As he calls their band out, Quinn is surprised at the rush of excitement she feels. She spent so much of her night worrying about what she would say to him or how she would act around him that she didn't have time to take in the fact that, for the first time in two months, she is going to be reunited with the guy she cares so much about. And when she thinks of it like that, she wonders why she was so nervous in the first place.

Finn, Sam, and Artie come out first, but it isn't long before he appears. Puck wears a confident smile as he picks up his guitar and makes his way to the center of the stage. It's so strange seeing him without a mohawk (Rachel, who had seen him earlier today, told Quinn that he shaved it off for work), but she thinks that the he looks just as good as he did with it. Maybe even better. She can tell by the way he squints down at the crowd that the lights are virtually blinding him. She thinks that's probably a good thing, for both him and herself, because the minute his eyes meet hers is when she'll start worrying again. And right now she just wants to relax.

She can't help but smile as he greets the crowd with that familiar cockiness in his voice (and she can't believe how much she missed _that _part of him). Then they start on one of their original songs. It's a song she has heard many times, as Puck and Artie wrote it together while he was living with her. It's nice and upbeat and a perfect song for their opening. His voice is soft but confident and she thinks he's never sounded better.

Rachel squeezes Quinn's arm, looking incredibly proud as Quinn looks at her. "This is good," Rachel says, and judging by the glint in her eyes, Quinn thinks she is talking about more than the music.

"Yeah," Quinn agrees. "It is."

She focuses back on stage, having the nagging feeling that she won't feel the same way once the concert is over.

**888**

Everything goes off without a hitch. The crowd really seemed to love them, and they even got an encore performance. What's more, Puck was so into the music that he barely even focused on the crowd - which means he didn't see Quinn. He thought he caught a glimpse of her in the front, but the light was so bright it was hard to know for sure.

"That was _awesome!_" Sam says as they make their way backstage.

A beaming Finn looks like he's in some sort of trance, while Artie pumps his fists in the air. "We totally killed it," he says.

Puck slaps Artie on the back. "Hell yeah we did."

Sam laughs as he hands Puck a rag. "Dude, you look like you just took a swim."

"I could say the same about you, Evans," Puck says with a grin. He runs the rag around his face and neck, wiping the sweat away.

Behind Puck, Finn finally comes to. "That was so cool," he says in a small voice.

"Easily the best night of my life," Sam says. "But don't tell Santana that. She likes to think that every night with her is the best night of my life."

Puck just laughs as he grabs a bottle of water and takes a seat on one of the chairs next to all their equipment. His heart is pumping wildly, but this time it's from the adrenaline rather than nerves.

It isn't more than a few seconds later when Santana comes bursting behind the stage. She pounces on Sam, who looks both startled and amused. "You were so hot."

And then they're making out.

The familiar screech of Rachel Berry follows not long after, and soon she is hugging Finn, a look of complete adoration on her face.

Puck doesn't spend much time focusing on them; he's distracted by the beautiful blond standing just a few feet away. She's looking right at him, uncertainty written all over her face as she allows herself a weak smile. His breath hitches at the sight of her, but soon he's smiling too, unable to keep himself from expressing the joy he feels at seeing her again.

"Quinn." He takes the few steps towards her.

She wears a soft smile. "You were amazing, Puck."

"Yeah, well...of course."

"Still as arrogant as ever, I see," she says teasingly.

He smirks. "That'll never change."

"I wouldn't want it to."

The way she's looking at him - the intense gaze and soft smile that tells him she still cares about him - makes him want to pull her into his arms and kiss her until he can't breathe. But of course he doesn't, because knowing her, that wouldn't go down well at all. So he settles for reaching out and grazing his hand against her arm.

"I missed you, Quinn."

"Yeah." She lets out a slow breath. "I missed you too."

"Do you think maybe-"

But before he can get anything else out, Rachel, wearing an anxious smile, is at Quinn's side. She whispers something into Quinn's ear. Quinn nods slowly and says, "Just give me a second."

And with that, they're alone again.

"Is everything okay?" he asks.

"I have to get going," Quinn says apologetically. "I have an early day tomorrow."

"Yeah." He tries to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Of course."

They both stand there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. He doesn't want to say goodbye yet, can't accept that this brief exchange is all he'll get out of his visit. So he decides to take a chance.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" he asks. "I mean, if you're not busy or anything."

"I have to work."

He expected this response, so he continues, "After work then? I'm not leaving until tomorrow evening."

She shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know, Puck..."

"Please," he says, and there's clear desperation in his voice. "I just feel like there's so much we need to talk about."

"I know." She looks down at the floor, avoiding his gaze. "I'm just not sure I'm ready."

"Quinn-"

"I'm sorry," she says, and there's finality in her tone. "Some other time, okay?"

He lets out a sigh of defeat. Arguing will get him nowhere with Quinn. "Okay."

She gives a grateful nod. "Thanks."

Rachel appears again, as if summoned by Quinn, and Quinn gives a short goodbye before walking out with Rachel. He watches them go, a tight frown on his face as he allows himself to display the disappointment he's so strongly feeling.

**888**

The next morning, after a restless night's sleep, Quinn wakes up thinking of Puck. She feels guilty about how she left things between them last night. It was pretty obvious he'd had his heart set on talking with her, but she'd shut him down without even giving him a chance. The tough part is that she doesn't know if she regrets it; she hadn't been lying when she told him she wasn't ready.

She spends a few lazy hours simply laying in bed and trying not to think about last night and the look on Puck's face when she blew him off (that doesn't really work well). At around eleven she's forced out of bed by the disgusting wave of nausea that sweeps over her. She barely makes it to the toilet in time before she's puking her guts out. By the time she's done, she still feels absolutely horrible.

Dragging herself into the kitchen, she grabs a box of saltines and nibbles at them. Rachel had brought them over yesterday, claiming that they're supposed to be good for dealing with morning sickness. They don't seem to be making her any more sick, so Quinn thinks they're pretty good.

A quick glance at the clock tells her she has to be at work in forty-five minutes. She's tempted to call in sick, but that means she'd be left alone all day with nothing but thoughts of _him_ and that's just not something she can deal with at the moment.

So she takes a short shower, freshens up as best as she can, and sets out to work hoping that it can properly distract her from the treacherous thoughts of the boy she can't seem to get out of her mind. And it does. For three whole hours Quinn is lost in the world of coffee. The only time she thinks of Puck is when she glances to his old favorite spot in the far corner of the shop. But she manages to distract herself again quite quickly as the afternoon rush of customers starts pouring in.

It's nearing the end of her shift but she's so busy making drinks she doesn't even realize the time. She also doesn't notice that he's here until she sets his drink out on the counter.

So much for not thinking about him.

Puck wears a nervous smile as he tips his coffee towards her. "Just like old times, right?"

She tries hard not to lose her cool, because the surprise of seeing him has shifted into intense frustration. "I told you I didn't want to talk," she says as quietly as she can, because she doesn't want to look unprofessional in front of the other customers waiting for their drinks.

He frowns. "I'm here for coffee."

"There are a million other coffee shops in New York, Puck. You didn't have to come here. You _shouldn't _have come here."

His eyes penetrate hers. There's a distinct sadness in his gaze that makes her heart break; she hates that she's making him feel this way.

"I really do have to work, Puck," she says, but not in the same angry tone as before. She's soft now, trying the best she can to let him know she doesn't hate him without actually having to say it.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, but I just...I just wanted to see you before I left."

She nods slowly. "I understand."

There's a wistful smile on his face as he turns to leave. "I'll see you," he says.

Quinn watches him go without another word.

"Was that Puck?"

She turns to look at Katie, who looks way too curious for her own good. "Yes."

"He looked different," Katie muses.

"It's the hair. He got rid of the mohawk."

"Yeah, I noticed that. But there's something else. It was the way he was acting. He wasn't anything like the cocky jackass you used to love to hate. He just looked _sad_."

A frown comes to her lips as she realizes just how right Katie was. The Puck she knew - the one who used to annoy the crap out of her, who'd tease her until she was forced to smack him, who got into food fights with her, who got her to _sing _for the first time in years - that boy was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a quiet, brooding shell of the man she'd fallen in love with.

And it's all because of her he's that way. Because she pushed him away and refused to give him the chance to come back in. It's all her fault. And she hates herself for it.

She wants so badly to run after him, to tell him she's sorry, and to offer him a chance at the redemption he so strongly desires. But she doesn't. Because reaching out to him and giving him that chance means it's time for her to accept the other taboo in her life - the baby she's carrying. _His _baby. And she's not ready for that. Not anywhere close.

So she stays put, hating herself even more for being the coward she truly is.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know they barely interacted but don't get too mad at me because everything's going to come to light very soon. **

**I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'm willing to say it won't take me longer than a week. I'm really excited to write it though, so hopefully the excitement will motivate me to write even faster than normal…We'll see. **

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you can!**


	10. Crossfire

**A/N: First off, I'm soooo sorry about the wait. I said that I'd get it up within a week and that obviously didn't happen. I have no excuse other than this chapter was much harder to write than I thought it would be. Secondly, a big thanks to all those who reviewed. I didn't get a chance to reply to many, but I want you to know that I do take each and every one to heart. **

**This chapter's title and lyrics come from a song by Brandon Flowers.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: <em>Crossfire<em>**

_And we're caught within the crossfire__  
><em>_Of heaven and hell__  
><em>_And we're searching for shelter__  
><em>_Lay your body down...__  
><em>_Next to mine_

The next two months are pretty much a blur for Quinn. Knowing that her parents would stop paying for school once they found out she was pregnant, Quinn decided to take advantage of the time she had left and take summer courses. That, combined with work and catering jobs she did on the side managed to keep her especially busy. And being busy was just about Quinn's only saving grace; it kept her from having to think about her two biggest issues - Puck and the pregnancy.

The first couple weeks of knowing she was pregnant had been mostly spent in denial. Except for the morning sickness (which she didn't have as often as she thought she would, thank God), it was easy to forget that there was a little life growing inside her. But after awhile, things started to sink in. The pre-natal vitamins were a constant reminder of her current state, not to mention the sonogram picture she kept securely in her wallet. Then there were the sore breasts, the growing appetite, and the mood swings. Discovering this morning that her formally flat stomach was no longer so was the final straw. The bump had come out of nowhere and it was certainly the jolt she needed to let reality finally set in.

And the reality is that she's almost four months pregnant and the only person who knows besides herself is Rachel. She realizes now that that has to change. She has to tell people. And she has to tell _Puck. _

She releases a heavy sigh as she falls onto her bed. She doesn't like to think about Puck these days because thoughts of him only lead to her feeling guilty. A few times she almost ended up calling him, but in the end, her cowardice won out. He hasn't called her at all. He continues to give her the space she told him she needed. She wonders if he'll get tired of waiting and move on. The thought of that happening makes her heart drop.

"Quinn? Are you here? Quinn?"

She sits up at the sound of Rachel's voice. Somehow Rachel had managed to steal Quinn's spare key right from under her nose. Quinn hadn't even bothered to take it from her. It's kind of nice not to have to answer the door sometimes.

Rachel pokes her head inside. "Ah, there you are." Her dark eyes narrow in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Quinn says with a shrug. She stands up and tries to busy herself by digging through her closet. She is supposed to be getting ready for class, but she doesn't feel much like going to school today.

"You don't look fine."

Quinn decides she might as well be honest. She turns to the side and lifts her tank top, allowing Rachel to get a good look at the bump. Not to Quinn's surprise, Rachel's lips twist into a big smile.

"Aww! That's adorable."

Quinn covers herself up again and sits back on the bed. "You _would _think that."

"Still not coming to terms with this whole thing, I see," Rachel notes as she takes a seat next to Quinn.

"I am _now_," Quinn sullenly replies.

"Well, good. Maybe now you can tell Puck. And I can tell Finn. I really hate keeping something this huge from my husband, Quinn."

"I know. It's not fair of me to ask you to." She looks at Rachel with a resigned smile. "You can tell him."

Rachel's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Might as well. I'm not going to be able to keep this hidden for much longer. I think I'm going to tell my boss this week."

"And Puck?"

"Puck..." She closes her eyes, feeling nauseated at the prospect of telling him. "I'll tell him soon," she says, unable to commit herself to anything more than that.

This answer does not please Rachel. "That's what you said the last time I asked and that was three weeks ago. You need to tell him now, Quinn. You can't keep putting it off."

"I can't tell him _now, _Rachel. He lives in Philadelphia. And I'm not going to tell him over the phone."

"I don't mean this second," Rachel says in an exasperated tone. "Look, Finn wants to go see Puck this weekend, and I figured I'd go along with him. I think you should come too."

"Rachel, I can't-"

"Don't get started on me, Quinn. You can give me all the excuses in the world but none of them will be good enough for me to understand why you feel the need to keep Puck in the dark about the fact that he's going to be a father. He deserves to know. He has every _right_ to know. And you keeping this from him? It's not fair. Not at all."

"Do you think I like keeping this from him? Because I don't. I feel horrible about it, actually. It's just that I'm..." She holds back a groan, finding the idea of voicing her innermost thoughts aloud extremely frustrating.

Luckily for her, Rachel has her all figured out. "You're scared."

She nods. "Yeah."

"That's understandable. But you do realize that that fear is only going to get worse as the pregnancy goes on, right?"

"I know that," Quinn replies. "Doesn't make me feel much better though."

"Please come with us, Quinn. I know it's scary, but think of the relief you'll feel when it's over."

The idea of having the weight she's been lugging around for months lifted off is extremely appealing, but it's also terrifying. Still, she isn't sure she can refuse Rachel now.

"Alright. I'll go."

Rachel pulls her into a tight hug. "You're not going to regret this, Quinn."

She hopes Rachel's right, because right now she isn't so sure.

**888**

"Hi, Noah."

Puck cracks a smile as he feels her warm breath against the back of his neck. He lets himself enjoy the sensation before twisting around in the barstool and putting on a stern face. "What do you want, Anna?"

She looks at him seriously. "You."

His lips twist into a smirk. "Might want to set your sights a little lower, because you'll only end up disappointed."

Anna grins lightly as she orders herself a drink and takes a seat in the empty stool next to him. "You think very highly of yourself, do you know what?"

"Well, I _am _an amazing guy. Or so I've been told."

"Who told you that?"

Certainly not Quinn. Or anyone else for that matter. But Anna doesn't need to know that. "Pretty much anyone who's ever known me."

Anna just laughs. "I'm sure."

He takes a sip of his beer and shrugs. "It's true. People just love me."

"So you're here drinking all by your lonesome, looking a tad bit on the depressed side I might add, because people just love you _so _damn much?"

"I'm not alone. One of my friends from out of town is gonna be here soon."

"Ooh. Is he hot?"

Puck rolls his eyes. "Don't even try. He's married."

"That sucks."

"Let me ask you something, Anna." He swirls his drink around and looks at her thoughtfully. "Do you ever think of anything besides sex?"

She grins. "What else is there to think about?"

He chuckles softly, shaking his head. He isn't even going to bother with a response to that one.

In many ways, Anna reminds him of a female version of himself. It's probably why he doesn't mind hanging out with her. It's also why after initially hooking up and getting to know her, he has absolutely no desire to ever do it again. It would be too weird. Of course she obviously doesn't feel the same way.

"So what are you and your friend planning on doing?"

He shrugs. "Don't know for sure. We'll figure it out once he gets here."

"Well, I'll just stick around until he does."

"You've really got no one else to hang out with?" Puck asks.

"I do, but I'm choosing to stay here with you." She smiles flirtatiously. "Because that's how much I like you."

Puck lets out a low chuckle as he shakes his head. She's never going to give up on him, is she?

"Fine, but when Finn gets here, you're out, okay?"

If she wants to protest, she doesn't show it. Instead she gives a noncommittal shrug and a mischievous smile. And for some reason Puck can't shake the feeling that somehow she's going to end up screwing things up for him tonight.

**888**

The sun is just beginning its decent by the time they reach Philadelphia. Quinn sits in the back of Finn's Mini Cooper feeling both incredibly cramped and incredibly nervous. The three hour ride hadn't lasted nearly long enough. In less than a half hour, they'd be meeting Puck. The thought makes her want to puke.

"You okay?" Finn asks from the driver's seat.

The whole ride he's been throwing her sidelong anxious glances. Quinn knows he understands how hard this is for her, and she appreciates that, but she isn't sure she needs the coddling; Rachel's overprotective behavior was already enough.

Finn took the news of her pregnancy remarkably well. Obviously he was shocked as well as a little disappointed, but he told her that he would be there for her, just as Rachel would, and that he loved her just as he always did. And that was that. Quinn wishes that everyone in her life will react as Finn and Rachel, but she knows that's about as likely to happen as pigs falling from the sky.

"I'm fine, Finn," she replies. He and Rachel share an annoying look that tells Quinn they don't believe her. "When are we gonna be there?" she asks before they can keep pestering her.

Rachel takes a look at the GPS. "About fifteen minutes."

"Are we meeting him at his house?"

"No," Finn replies, "at this bar he likes to go to."

Quinn fights the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course he'd want to meet in a bar."

"If he knew you were coming, or even if he knew Rachel was, I'm sure he'd have chosen somewhere else."

"He doesn't know Rachel's coming?" Quinn asks in surprise.

Rachel nods. "I decided to come last minute, remember? I'm not really here to see him, anyway; I'm here for you."

Quinn stays silent, not really in the mood to talk any further. She leans her head against the window and tries to forget about what's about to go down. She takes a deep breath as she moves her left hand to her stomach, running it across her belly for just a moment before letting it fall back into her lap. She's nervous. Really nervous. Ten times more nervous than she was a few months ago when she went to Puck's concert. But she had to do this. Putting it off any longer is only going to make things worse.

It isn't much longer before Finn is parking next to a tall brick building. Puck's bar of choice looks small and dark from her position in the car. It does nothing to make her feel welcome.

Finn turns back to look at her. "So what's the plan?"

Quinn shrugs. "I don't really have one."

"Just go in there and tell him," Rachel says simply. "Finn and I should go check in to our hotel anyway. And if all goes well, I guess we can meet up with the two of you later and grab some dinner."

"I'm not sure either of them are going to be up to going out, babe," Finn says, and Quinn agrees wholeheartedly. "Puck's probably gonna need some time to think, and I'm sure Quinn will feel the same."

"Then we'll leave you two to yourselves tonight," Rachel suggests, "and we'll figure the rest out tomorrow."

"Sounds fine to me," Quinn says.

Silence takes over and she realizes it's her cue to leave. Rachel pulls back the seat for Quinn to get out and just as Quinn slips from the tiny car, Rachel's arms are folding around her.

"Good luck," Rachel says.

Quinn just nods. Then she turns towards the building and prepares herself for perhaps one of the biggest moments of her life. She just hopes it doesn't end up as badly as her pessimistic mind is prepared for it to.

The bar is dark and cramped with people, making it hard to make out any sign of Puck. She stands at the entrance for a moment, tempted to make a run for it, before her eyes fall on him. He's sitting at the far end of the bar, drinking a beer. Her eyes narrow as she realizes he isn't drinking alone. A tall redhead is sitting next to him, her pale hands grazing Puck's shoulder as she leans to whisper something in his ear. Quinn's jaw clenches as he leans in closer to respond to the girl, leaving only a few inches left between them.

She would have left in that moment if it weren't for the sudden, irrational anger that has quickly overtaken her body. She shouldn't be feeling this way - this cold, hard jealousy that she can't even deny. Puck isn't hers, he never has been, and she has given him no reason to think otherwise. He's probably gotten tired of her avoiding him. He's probably moving on, just as she secretly feared he would.

Still, the anger doesn't disappear. In fact it only seems to increase as she stalks through the crowd of people and makes her way over to him. This is her own fault. It's obvious to her now. And it pisses her off.

Planting herself right behind Puck, she crosses her arms and clears her throat. If she's going to do this, she's got to be strong. Or at least pretend to be. She can't let him think he's getting to her.

The girl notices her first. She stares at Quinn like she's got three heads. Quinn simply ignores her. Puck, noticing the girl's reaction, swivels his chair around to see what he's missing, and then he's looking right at her. He blinks a few times, like he's not sure what he's really seeing, before a big smile comes to his face.

"Quinn!"

She forces herself to remain calm, even though the sight of his crooked smile is enough to make her melt. "Sorry to interrupt," she says coolly.

"Interrupt?" Puck looks around as if to find the source of her supposed interruption. When his eyes land on the redhead, his face contorts into something that could only be described as annoyance. "Oh, this is Anna. We work together."

Quinn has always prided herself with being a polite person. Growing up the way she did - going to country clubs with her parents, being forced to attend her mother's friends stifling parties every other weekend, and, of course, being captain of the Cheerio squad since her sophomore year - she was pretty much forced to learn how to put on a charming smile and a positive attitude, even at the worst of times. But now, for the first time in her life, Quinn finds that she can't bring that familiar tight smile to her face; she can't even muster a simple hello. The most she can do is offer a short nod of acknowledgment before settling her steely gaze back on Puck.

To his credit, Puck doesn't look at all fazed by her attitude. There's no guilt and no shame, as if he doesn't find this Anna girl to be worth any thought at all. His smile is still firmly in place as he grabs her elbow and start leading her away from Anna. They end up in the hall, right next to the guys' bathroom. It's dark and a bit smelly, but it's private. Still, she thinks that it isn't exactly the ideal spot to tell a guy you're pregnant with his child.

"What are you doing here?" The excitement in his voice is as clear as day, and it's relieving. Would he be so happy if he'd moved on?

"I came with Finn and Rachel," she says with a shrug. She isn't going to allow herself to show the same excitement he's so obviously feeling.

"To see me?"

"You act like that's completely unbelievable."

He smirks as he leans suavely against the wall. "Well, you've been avoiding me for a long time, Quinn. I was starting to think you were never gonna want to see me again."

She doesn't know what to say to that, so instead she focuses on his work buddy. "You and that girl looked pretty close."

He chuckles lightly. "Nah. We're mostly just work friends, but she likes to bug me by hanging out at my favorite bar."

"She likes you?"

"Of course. Doesn't mean I like her, though."

"It looked like it from where I was standing."

Grinning wildly, Puck shakes his head and stares down at her with blazing eyes. "Babe, trust me, you've got nothing to worry about."

She ignores the fact that he called her babe, because it's pretty clear he's had a few beers and can't be entirely blamed for his actions, and crosses her arms self consciously. The shirt she's wearing is loose and flowey, doing a flawless job of hiding her bump, but for some reason, she feels like it's incredibly obvious - like any second now, he'll look down and realize the _real _reason she came here.

"We need to talk, Puck," she says firmly.

Puck sobers up a bit at that. "Fine with me. I've only wanted to talk for four months now."

"Not here, though."

"Yeah, it kind of smells like piss back here, doesn't it?" He gives her a soft smile as he nods towards the entrance. "Let's get out of here."

**888**

It feels like he's dreaming. The honest to God last person on earth he expected to see tonight was Quinn. Even knowing that Finn was coming to see him, the possibility of Quinn tagging along never once crossed his mind. And for good reason. Since seeing her in New York a couple months ago, there had been absolutely no contact between them and he'd been steadily losing hope that they would ever be able to mend their broken relationship. He'd considered a few times going back to see her, but he felt like at this point the ball was in her court.

And it seems now that she is finally ready to take a shot on him.

They step outside and Puck looks at her questioningly. "You eat anything?"

She hasn't, but she's nervous right now that the idea of eating makes her want to vomit. So she lies. "On the way here. You?"

"Yeah, while I was waiting for Finn."

An awkward silence takes over. She looks at the ground, her fingers toying with the hem of her shirt in a nervous manner. There's something off about her. He isn't sure what it is, but he knows her well enough to know that this situation is more than just uncomfortable for her.

"What do you wanna do?" he asks.

"Maybe we could just walk?"

"Sounds fine to me."

So they do. Side by side, they walk slowly down the deserted sidewalk. They're on the outskirts of Philly, closer to the suburbs where he lives, so there's not exactly a lot to see. He waits for her to say something, but after nearly two minutes of silence, he decides to break it.

"So what's going on, Quinn? Why did you decide to finally talk to me again?"

She shrugs. "I got over everything."

"Took you long enough."

"I got over it months ago, actually."

"Oh," he says, smirking. "So you've been over it all this time, but you were just too damn stubborn to do anything about it. Yup. That sounds just like you."

She silences him with a glare. "You don't know the half of it, Puck."

"I'm sure I don't, but that's not my fault, is it?"

She stops walking, planting herself firmly on the sidewalk. He turns around to see what the holdup is, but she's just staring at him, eyes sparkling with rage. "Did you sleep with her?" she demands.

Talk about changing the subject. "_What_?"

"That _girl _at the bar. Did you sleep with her?"

"I really have absolutely no idea how that relates to anything."

She takes a step towards him, her gaze cold as she points an accusing finger. "Just answer the question."

"Why the hell does it matter?"

"You did, didn't you? You're not denying it." Her voice quivers slightly and she looks away from him, and is he seeing things or are her eyes suspiciously watery? He is practically speechless; this is so far from how he expected their talk to go.

"It was one time. Just one time and it didn't mean _anything_."

Quinn seems to be recovering from her slip up. She stares at him with tired, but clear eyes, and shakes her head. "It doesn't matter."

He tries to hide his confusion. "It mattered a second ago."

She begins walking again. Feeling like he's missing something huge, he simply follows her. Once again, he feels like it's her move to make.

A few minutes later, they're sitting on a bench in the park he used to go to as a kid. It's getting dark now and there's only a few people scattered throughout the rather large area. He can tell she has something to say, so he gives her time to collect her thoughts. Something weird is going on, and it's making him anxious.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words come out so quickly - and so out of left field - that for a moment, he isn't even sure if she really said anything at all. But she's looking at him with a pained expression, clearly waiting for a response, and he realizes that he was hearing just fine; she really did just say what he thought she did.

"I..." He stops, because he doesn't know what to say past that. The shock of her announcement is too much. He runs a hand along his shaved head, a nervous habit of his, and takes a deep breath, trying to figure out what the hell he's supposed to do next.

Luckily for him, Quinn doesn't take his silence as anything negative. She gives him a sympathetic smile. "Obviously you weren't expecting that."

A weak laugh escapes him. "No. Not at all. I'd ask if you were serious, but you'd be the last person on earth to joke about something like this."

They're both quiet again as Quinn lets him digest the news. He looks over at her, trying to see if there's any sign that he was missing, but he doesn't really notice anything different about her physical appearance. Except maybe her boobs. Yeah, _those _were definitely bigger. Then he realizes something.

"You knew when I was in New York, didn't you?"

She looks away from him guiltily. "Yes. I found out the day before you came."

Her behavior from his visit now makes all the sense in the world, and yet he can't help the anger he feels knowing she kept something this huge from him. "You should have told me, Quinn. I would have been there for you. I could have _helped _you."

"I wasn't ready, Puck," she says defensively. "It took me awhile to accept it for myself, let alone to gain the courage to tell you."

He jumps from the bench, feeling suddenly restless. He paces in front of her, his mind a puddle of random thoughts. He has a million things to say, and at the same time he doesn't have a clue where to begin. "It doesn't make any sense, Quinn. We were safe!"

"I know," she says. "It was just crappy luck."

"Are you gonna...you know...keep it?" She looks somewhat offended at his words and he decides to clarify, "I mean obviously you're not going the abortion route. I was talking about adoption. You're not thinking of giving it up, are you?" For some reason, the idea of putting their kid up for adoption is incredibly hard to even consider.

"No," she answers simply. "I'm keeping it."

He's surprised at the relief he feels. "Good."

"Good?" She's looking at him with raised eyebrows.

His body starts to get a grip of itself and he feels himself relaxing. Taking a deep breath, he sits down next to her and stares her right in the eye. "Yeah. Good."

"You..._want_ to do this? You want to have a baby?"

"Well, I've always liked kids. I knew I'd be a dad someday. Maybe not this young, but I knew it would happen..."

His hand finds its way to hers and he squeezes it lightly. Now that he's had a few moments to collect himself, he feels a little better about it all. He's still shocked as hell, but at least he's got a hold of himself now.

Quinn, on the other hand, despite the fact that she's had months to think this through, looks considerably anxious. "I'm sorry again for not telling you. It was just...it was so much to handle and I..."

"It's okay, Quinn. I understand."

He feels like she needs more than words for reassurance so, feeling suddenly brave, he wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her towards him. She tenses at his touch, but he doesn't release her, only holds on tighter. He wants her to understand that he's going to be there for her and he has a strong feeling it's going to take a little bit of forcefulness on his part.

"I'm gonna be there for you," he says. "I'll move back to New York and I'll get the best job I can find and I'll take care of you both. I promise you that."

She does exactly as he expected - she fights. "I don't want you to have to give up your life here."

"Are you kidding me? I don't have a life here, Quinn. I work, I go home, I sleep. That's about it. I love my mom and sister, but I don't belong here with them. Even they know that."

"I just don't want you to feel like you _have_ to do this, Puck. That's my point. I can do just fine on my own."

Those words ignite a spark of anger that he doesn't even try to control. He releases his hold on her, standing up, and glaring hard down at her. "No, Quinn. This isn't gonna happen. You pushed me away after we first slept together, you refused to give me a chance even though I was all for it. And then you did it again when I came back to New York. But I'm not letting you push me away again. Not this time.

"I'm not pushing you away. I just don't want to be an obligation to you."

He throws his hands up in frustration. "_God__, _Quinn, you're _not_ an obligation! This baby isn't either. I _want _to go back and I _want _to take care of you. Why the hell is that so hard for you to understand?"

This silences her and for that he's grateful. He can argue with her all night on this if he has to, but he feels like there's a lot more they could be doing instead. She's staring up at him with conflicted eyes. He sits down again and puts a hand on her back.

"Will you please just let me do this?" he softly asks.

She closes her eyes, blowing out a long breath. "Yeah."

His lips twist into a broad smile and, instinctively, he inches closer to her, his hand moving to cup her cheek. He wants so badly to kiss her right now, so he decides to just go for it. But just as his lips are about to graze hers, she turns away. He can't hide his disappointment.

"I'm sorry, but we can't," she says firmly, and she doesn't look the least bit sorry. "I can't even think about a relationship right now. There's just way too much else going on."

He gives a wry smile. "Going back to the no dating rule, huh?"

"It didn't exactly work out well for me the last time I broke it," she counters.

"Doesn't mean it's gonna be the same this time around."

"Maybe, maybe not. It's not that I'm not open to giving you another chance, Puck, it's just that I literally can't deal with a relationship right now. I have school and work, and the pregnancy in general. And I'm gonna have to tell my parents soon." A wave of anguish crosses her face at that.

"I get it, Quinn. No relationship right now. _Right now _being the key words, right?" He gives her a hopeful look.

For seemingly the first time that night, she smiles. "Yeah."

"Okay. Well, that's good enough for me. And hey, if you want me to be there when you tell your parents, I will be. I know it's gonna be hard."

She looks almost shy as she slowly nods. "I'd like that."

He's grins, happy that for once she's actually going to let him be there for her. He stands up, holding out his hand. "We should get going. This place gets kind of iffy at night."

She takes his hand, allowing him to help her up, but she doesn't release it as they start to walk back towards the bar. He thinks it's her way of saying thank you.

Their walk back is spent in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. His mind is still reeling with her news. Even though he feels like he's got a grip on the situation right now, he knows it's going to take a lot of time to really accept this whole thing. She's having his baby. He's gonna be a dad. It's a huge deal.

Right now, though, he's just happy that they're both on the same page. After months of separation, it feels remarkably good to be in her presence again. And if took a surprise pregnancy to bring them back together, then he's got to say, he's incredibly thankful for this blessing in disguise.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So he finally knows. From this point on the story is going to get a bit fluffier (at least compared to the last few chapters). It's got about five chapter left, so we're getting close to the finish line now. **

**Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think in a review!**


	11. Marching On

**A/N: Not much to say here except a big thanks to all those who reviewed. You're all incredible!**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by OneRepublic.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: <em>Marching On<em>**

_For those doubts that swirl all around us__  
><em>_For those lives that tear at the seams__  
><em>_We know we're not what we've seen_

_For this dance we move with each other_  
><em>There ain't no other step<em>  
><em>Than one foot right in front of the other<em>

Puck carefully sets the last of the boxes into the back of Sam's van and slams the door shut. "That's it," he declares.

Before he can say another word, his mother's arms are wrapped around him, and she's doing a pretty good job at knocking all the air out of him. He isn't sure why she's being so emotional today; they'd done this before, after all. Then again, _last _time he flew the nest, he was going for an entirely different reason. He was just a young kid, going to live on his own for the first time, but now, in his mother's eyes - and in his own - he's a man going to provide for his family. He thinks that fact is a whole lot for his mom to grasp, and he understands because he feels the same way.

His mom took the news of the pregnancy as well as he could have hoped for. She made it clear she was disappointed that it was happening out of wedlock, and she of course berated him for not being careful enough. But after the initial disappointment wore off, she offered her full support. Puck is pretty grateful for that, considering Quinn's parents aren't likely to be so forgiving.

"Abby's coming to visit next month and I'm coming to see you not long after," she says, finally releasing him. He sucks the fresh air in with relief. "And I've already asked for the time off, so no arguing."

"I wasn't going to," Puck says. And he really wasn't. He wants his mom and Abby to meet Quinn. Even before he found out about the baby, he considered her one of the most important people in his life, so it really is about time she meets his family.

His mom pulls him in for another hug, before handing him over to Abby. His sister gives him a short hug before grinning up at him. "Go take care of your baby mama."

"Will do."

And with that, he leaves behind his mom and sister behind for the second - and last - time.

Sam smirks at him as Puck jumps into the passenger's seat. "Mama's boy."

Puck rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Evans."

"So are you excited about coming back to New York?" Sam asks as they begin their drive.

"Yeah…"

Puck's not much in the mood for small talk, but he feels like he owes it to Sam. After all, he gave up his whole Saturday to help Puck move. Finn and Artie had planned to help, but both ended up being tied up at work. Quinn had to work as well, but he never expected her to want to come anyway. Even though they're on good terms now, he gets the feeling that this whole situation is still completely overwhelming for her. Not to mention helping him move would mean meeting his family, and he is pretty sure she isn't ready for that yet.

"I gotta say, I was a little shocked when I heard you knocked Quinn up. She's probably the last person on earth I expected to get pregnant out of wedlock. You know, she was the president of the celibacy club back in high school. None of us ever stood a chance with her. I kind of figured she was no different today."

Puck leans his head against the window and sighs. "She's human, Sam, just like the rest of us. You can't expect her to be perfect."

"I didn't mean it that way," Sam says, and Puck can tell he's really not trying to start anything. "I just meant...it was surprising. It's not that I think any less of her, you know? I'm not one to judge, anyway."

"It's cool, Sam. I get it." Having no desire to continue this conversation (with Quinn's ex, no less), Puck decides to turn the tables on him. "So how are things with Santana?" Sam grimaces and Puck holds back a laugh. "Another rough patch?"

"We're over," Sam says in a definitive tone.

"Yeah, but not for good, right? You two are always breaking up."

"Nah, it's for good this time. It was actually our first breakup that was mutual, which is how I know it's for real. We both agreed it was just too much drama. We brought out the worst in each other, you know? It just wasn't healthy."

"So that's why you broke up? You both got tired of the drama?"

"Well, it all started because she wanted me to cut off contact with Mercedes."

"Ah, keeping in touch with the ex. Not a good idea."

"I wasn't just gonna stop talking to her, though. Mercedes is one of my best friends. I mean, I would never even consider asking Santana to stop hanging out with Brittany. It wasn't fair of her to ask, and we both knew it. So I called her out on it and in one of her rare moments of rationality, she agreed that it was wrong of her. So we sat down and talked and decided it was time to go our separate ways."

"Must have been tough. You guys have been together on and off for what? Three years?"

"About that," Sam says. "And yeah, it was hard, but it was right. For the first time, I feel good about it. Like I can really move on."

Puck smirks over at Sam. "Maybe you and Mercedes can rekindle something, huh?"

Sam looks surprisingly serious. "I'm not gonna lie, I've thought about it. Seeing her at Rachel and Finn's wedding brought back a lot of feelings. But she's just so far away. It's why we broke up in the first place."

"I'd give you some advice, but I kind of suck at relationships."

"Obviously." Puck lifts an eyebrow, but Sam just laughs. "Hey, you admitted it yourself. I'm just agreeing. So back to _you_. Are you and Quinn together now?"

Another topic he doesn't want to talk about. He answers simply, "No."

"Give her time. She's a stubborn one."

Puck laughs. "No shit."

The conversation ends at that and the rest of the ride is spent listening to Sam's iPod, followed by Puck's endless teasing after finding that Sam owns all of Justin Bieber's albums. When they finally arrive at Quinn's apartment, it hits Puck that he's really back. He's going to _live _with Quinn again. He's finally getting his life back.

He stares up at the tall brick building that he gets to call home once more. "It's good to be back."

Sam grins at him. "It's good to have you back."

**888**

Quinn can't help but feel a little strange when she arrives home from work that night. She left a key under the mat for Puck, knowing he would be there before she was, but for some reason the reality of him moving back in doesn't really hit her until she opens the door and is greeted by the sight of him sprawled out on her couch, watching a baseball game on her big screen TV.

He is beaming as he jumps from the couch to greet her. "I'm back, baby!"

"I can see that," she says as she sets her keys on the side table next to the door. She's still a little overwhelmed by Puck's apparent enthusiasm about their situation. After his initial shock wore off, he seemed eager to take on the challenge of parenthood. Quinn desperately wishes she could share that enthusiasm.

She walks into the kitchen, although she isn't really sure why. It's dinner time, but she's not planning on making anything. Puck follows her, wearing that cocky grin of his, and takes a seat at the kitchen counter. She's hit with a major case of déjà vu as she's brought back to the first time he moved in. After unpacking, he came into the kitchen and they'd talked while he watched her cook. They were practically strangers then. Now, though, they are anything but.

"You've gotta admit, it's nice to have me back."

"It kind of is," Quinn says with a soft smile.

Puck leans back in his chair, looking pleased at her admission, and places his hands behind his head. "I started job hunting last week."

"Did you find anything?"

"Yeah, I did. I sent my resume to four or five places, but I've got an interview on Monday at a guitar shop in Manhattan. It's for a full-time position, 14 bucks an hour."

"Sounds perfect," Quinn says. She looks down at the table and plays with her hands, feeling suddenly awkward as she struggles to keep the conversation flowing.

Puck seems to sense her discomfort. "Are you okay?" he asks.

Quinn sighs. "Fine."

Puck doesn't look convinced, but he lets the conversation drop. "I ordered pizza. Hope that's cool with you."

"Yeah."

Silence again. She hates that she feels so suddenly uncomfortable around him. She's never had any problem talking to him before, even when they first met. She doesn't understand why this pregnancy has to make things to different. For her, at least. Puck seems as comfortable as ever. It annoys her how he can be so nonchalant about everything. She wonders if he even understands the gravity of their situation.

Puck's insistent voice pierces her thoughts. "You're not fine."

She's tempted to not grace him with an answer - to flee once again and take shelter in her locked bedroom. But Puck asked her to stop pushing him away and she feels like after all he is sacrificing for her she owes him that.

"I guess I'm not."

Puck scoots his chair closer to hers. "Why?"

"Why do you think, Puck?" She points down to her rounded belly, which is clearly obvious under her white cotton t-shirt.

"Look, I know this baby thing's kind of a lot to handle-"

"A lot to handle? Puck, this changes _everything_. I don't think you even realize just how much this is going to affect the both of us."

"Oh, I realize, believe me. I'm just trying to look at the positive instead of the negative. Unlike you."

Her hands clench together as she tries to control her anger, but it's too late. He's been back for all of ten minutes and already he's infuriating her. "Don't give me that crap, Puck. You have _no _idea what I'm going through."

His eyes darken. "You're right. I don't what you're going through. But that's only because you don't tell me anything. You waited months to tell me you were pregnant. And now that I know, you still refuse to let me in. You're still pushing me away, Quinn."

"What are you talking about? I let you come here - I let you move back in with me. That's not pushing you away, Puck. It's far from it."

"I mean emotionally. You're pushing me away _emotionally_. I want to help you get through this, Quinn, but in order for that to happen, you've at least give me a clue of what you're thinking."

"Fine. You want to know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that I hate _everything _about this situation. I hate that I was stupid enough to get pregnant the first time I had sex, and I hate that I was stupid enough to sleep with you in the first place. I hate that I'm going to have to give up school because my parents are going to disown me when they find out. I hate that I'm never going to able to do the things I want to do _because _of that and that I'm going to be stuck working some crappy minimum wage job the rest of my life. I hate that my life is not my own anymore and that I have to share it not just with this child, but with you. I've lost all my independence, and I absolutely _hate_ it."

She sighs heavily as she rests her elbows on the table. It feels good to finally get that all out.

Puck's looking at her with a tenderness she doesn't deserve. "I don't think you mean all that."

"I do. I mean every word of it. I don't hate this baby, Puck - I don't think I ever could - but I do hate the position it's putting me in. I feel like horrible person even admitting it, but it's how I feel."

"It doesn't make you a horrible person." His hand moves to rest on the back of her chair as he looks her right in the eye. "It makes you normal. And you know what? You're not gonna feel that way forever. This baby is a huge deal, Quinn. It takes a lot of time to accept something so life changing."

"It didn't take you long."

"I'm still coming to terms with it, trust me. It's just not as hard for me because I'm...well, I'm a guy." He chuckles to himself. "The girls get the short end of the stick when it comes to these things."

Quinn smiles wryly. "Yes, I'm aware. It's very annoying."

Puck grins as he folds his hand over hers. "You know if you ever need to vent like that, I'm here."

"I know. Thanks."

He nods, then looks at her seriously. "So, since we're getting the hard stuff out of the way tonight, I've gotta ask - when are you going to tell your parents?"

The thought of telling her parents makes her stomach flip. "I don't know. To be honest, I can't even think about that right now."

"Maybe they won't react as badly as you think."

"No, Puck. There's no way they're going to react any differently than I predict. I know them, and I know that this is something they won't accept, and it's certainly not something they'll forgive. Even if I am their daughter."

Puck is silent at that, probably trying to think of something positive to counter her with, but unable to come up with anything.

There's a knock at the door and Puck scrambles up. "Must be the pizza," he mumbles.

A minute later he's sitting in front of her again, setting the pizza on to the table. She isn't feeling incredibly hungry right now, but she has to eat for the sake of this baby, so she loads a couple slices on to the plate Puck hands her.

"I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday," she mentions as she nibbles at the pizza.

Puck looks over at her eagerly. "Yeah?"

"You can come if you want."

"I do," he says. "I definitely do."

"It's possible they'll be able to tell the sex, since I'm 18 weeks."

Puck's face lights up. "Do you want to know?"

She nods. "I'd like to be prepared. Do you?"

"I want whatever you want, but to be honest, yeah, I'd like to know."

"It's your decision too, Puck. I don't want you to feel like you don't have a say at all in this."

Puck chuckles softly. "I don't feel that way at all. I just think since you're doing all the hard work, you should be the one to make the decision on this one."

A smile curves on her lips. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

"Not all the time," he says with a grin.

"You're right. Sometimes you say incredibly stupid things that make me want to strangle you."

"Right. And sometimes you drive me so far up the wall that I'm ready to jump. But you know we love each other anyway."

She tenses at that. After months of separation, she's not yet comfortable with any sort of mention of the "l" word. Puck doesn't seem to sense her discomfort. He just shoots her a smile as he takes a huge bite of his pizza. She decides it's time for the conversation to end before it gets awkward again.

"I've got to get to bed," she says as she stands up and puts her plate into the sink. "I've got church in the morning."

He looks disappointed, but quickly hides it as he stands with her and smiles softly. "Night, Quinn."

She returns the smile and turns to leave. "Goodnight."

As she reaches her bedroom, he calls out to her. "This is all gonna work out, Quinn," he says. "You've just got to give it some time."

She gives him a warm smile. "I know."

But she isn't sure if she really believes that.

**888**

Tuesday comes around pretty quickly, something Puck is very grateful for as he's eagerly anticipating Quinn's doctor's appointment. Much of Puck's Sunday was dedicated to jamming out with Finn, Sam, and Artie, which of course made things speed by. On Sunday night he and Quinn went out for dinner with Finn, Rachel, Artie, and Tina. It kind of felt like a triple date to him, something that he jokingly mentioned to Quinn. She reacted as expected - saying that it was just dinner with friends, and there was no meaning behind it. He decided to just let that one go, even though he's sure they both knew that she was wrong.

His job interview on Monday went exceptionally well, if he did say so himself. The manager reminded him a bit of himself, and seemed to feel the same way about Puck. At the end of the interview, it was announced that the job was Puck's. He'd be starting next week.

The appointment isn't until two, so Puck spends a majority of his Tuesday sleeping in (he's got to take advantage of sleep while he can, all things considered). He wakes up at noon, makes himself some lunch, and sits himself down in front of the TV for the remainder of the wait. Quinn's at work, so he has no other way to entertain himself.

"You should probably get cleaned up," is the first thing Quinn says when she walks through the door. She's wearing that annoyed look of hers - a look he's found that he's greatly missed. "You look homeless."

Puck just laughs in response, but does as the queen ordered. A half hour later, he's clean and shaven as they head out to her appointment. They don't say much on the taxi ride there and Puck gets the feeling it's because she's nervous. He leaves her be, knowing that if she wants to talk, she'll talk.

At the doctor's office, Quinn checks in before joining him in the waiting area. It's at this point that Puck starts to feel the first signs of something other than excitement. He wiggles his leg, his heart pumping a little faster than normal, as he classifies the feeling as something similar to nerves. He never liked going to the doctors, so he decides that this must be the reason for the anxiety. After all, why would he be nervous about seeing his kid for the first time? At the thought of that, he can't help but smile.

Quinn's name is called after a few minutes of waiting. They send him to one of the exam rooms and whisk Quinn away, the nurse briefly explaining to him that they've got to take some blood, check her urine, and weigh her. Quinn enters the room almost ten minutes later, looking irritated.

"I hate that part," she mutters.

"Why? Did you gain any weight?"

She snorts. "Like I'm gonna tell you."

"Come on, you're pregnant. You're _supposed _to get fat."

"I don't think fat is the right word for it, Puck," Quinn says through clenched teeth.

He can tell his words are genuinely bothering her, so he puts a hand on her leg and tries his best to calm her down. "I didn't mean it that way. I think you're beautiful, Quinn. A little junk in the front or the trunk or wherever isn't gonna change that."

She cracks a small smile and he can't help but be proud of that. "Charming, as usual."

He smirks. "Well, you know me."

A knock at the door signals the arrival of the doctor. A woman, probably in her mid-fifties, pokes her head inside, offering a warm smile before entering the small room.

"Quinn," she says. "Good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Quinn replies with a polite smile.

The doctor's gaze moves to Puck. "And who's this?"

"Puck," he replies with a smile. "I'm the dad."

"Well, it's certainly nice to have you here, Puck," she says sincerely as she shakes his hand. "I'm Dr. Walker. Now," she turns to Quinn, "let's get started, shall we?"

Dr. Walker looks over Quinn's chart, asking various questions - some of which make Puck raise an eyebrow. Her last question is the one that gets Puck's complete attention.

"Have you felt the baby move at all since your last visit?" Dr. Walker asks.

He'd been wondering that himself, but hadn't found a good time to ask. Quinn doesn't like talking too much about her pregnancy these days, something he hopes will change in the near future.

"About a week ago I felt something," Quinn says. "I've felt it a few times since, but not very often."

"That's normal," the doctor says as she makes a few notes on the chart, "the baby should start moving a lot more in the coming weeks."

He wants to ask when _he'll _be able to feel it, but somehow he gets the feeling that he and Quinn aren't at a point in their relationship where she'll be letting him touch her anytime soon, so he decides to save himself the rejection and look it up later for himself.

Next, Dr. Walker has Quinn sit up on the examination table. Quinn, obviously used to the routine, lifts her shirt and allows the doctor to examine her stomach. Puck's eyes are glued to scene. Quinn's done a good job hiding her belly from him since he returned, but now there's nowhere to hide. Her previously flat, toned stomach is now rounded upwards into a bump that he can only classify as adorable. It's small, but it's visible proof that their baby is in there. His lips curve into a big smile.

After a few moments, Dr. Walker declares that everything looks good so far and that it's time for the ultrasound. Then she tells them that she's going to send for the ultrasound technician, leaving them alone once more.

Quinn lies on the table, eyes focused on the ceiling, probably trying to avoid looking at him. He still can't help but be bothered by the fact that he's obviously making her uncomfortable. He doesn't want things to be awkward between them, especially when he feels perfectly fine around her.

Before he can say anything to break the silence, a cheerful looking sonographer is walking in with the ultrasound machine. The woman introduces herself as Mary before proceeding to turn the machine on. She pulls out a container of blue gel and dabs some on Quinn's stomach. Then she picks up the transducer and starts moving it around Quinn's bump. Puck squints at the screen, waiting for the first signs of their child. It doesn't take long for the baby to show up.

"And there's your baby," Mary says with a smile. "If the baby's in a good position, we just might be able to find out the sex. Do you two want to find out?"

"Yes," Quinn answers.

Puck isn't able to form much of a response; his attention is on the monitor where he can so clearly see the shape of their baby. A second later, a thumping fills the room and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Heartbeat sounds great," Mary says. "And as for the sex," she sends them both a wide smile, "you're having a little girl."

Overwhelmed. That's really the only way to describe the way he's feeling in this moment. Standing here, finding out that he's having a daughter, seeing his child like this for the first time, hearing her heartbeat - it's all so much to take in.

And that's when it hits him. They're having a baby. In a little more than four months, he's going to be a dad. This little life is going to depend on him to take care of her, to protect her, to give her everything she needs to grow into a good person. The past week, he's been acting like it's no big deal, like having a kid is something that will only minimally change his life. He realizes now that he's completely wrong.

This baby changes everything. His work life, his social life, his financial life - nothing's ever going to be the same again. He hadn't realized until now just how much everything is going to change. And he can't lie - it scares him a little bit.

And then he thinks of the fact that he has no clue in hell how to be a dad. His own father was basically out of his life at eight. And even when his dad was around, he wasn't much of an example. When his dad wasn't working on cars, he was drinking with his buddies all night. He was barely around, which in hindsight was probably a good thing for Puck. He didn't need to follow in his father's footsteps, that was for sure. But how in is he supposed to be a good dad to this kid when all he knows about fatherhood is drinking and abandonment?

He's pulled out of his reverie at the feel of a warm hand slipping into his. He looks down in surprise at Quinn, who, even more shockingly, is smiling widely up at him, her eyes welling up with tears. And he thought _she __was_ supposed to be the nervous one.

He says the only thing he can think of, "Wow."

The ultrasound continues for a few more minutes and Mary ends up printing multiple copies of the sonogram for them. She hands them to Puck before wheeling out the machine and leaving the two of them alone again.

"Wow," he says again, because at this point he doesn't know what else to say.

"A girl," Quinn murmurs. She sits up and pulls her shirt down, looking as dazed as he feels. "Is it strange that I'm actually a little...excited?" She says the word as if it's a crime.

He grins down at her. "I'd say it's normal."

And he's excited too, but it feels tainted by the anxiety that's starting to creep into his mind. He doesn't want to worry about this. Quinn worries enough for the both of them.

Quinn takes a seat next to him, a small smile on her face, and he realizes that for the first time since she told him she was pregnant, she actually seems _happy_. Not only that, but the thing she's happy about - _excited _about - is their baby. That alone is enough to ease his worries, if only for a little while.

He decides to take a chance and reaches for her hand. To his delight, she strings her fingers through his, giving his hand a small squeeze as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe this isn't so bad," she murmurs.

He smiles softly, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "Told you so."

**888**

Quinn never expected a doctor's appointment to change her perspective on this pregnancy. In fact, going in to the appointment today she was faced with a sense of dread. But the minute she saw the baby on that screen and heard her heartbeat fill the room, Quinn's dread was replaced with something that could only be described as unconditional love. And when it was announced that the baby was a girl, that love grew into pure excitement.

In that moment she was eight years old again, back when her life ambition was to be a mother. She had a bedroom full of dolls, all of which she claimed as her "children." She remembered forcing the unfortunate boys in her neighborhood to play house with her, just so she could pretend to be a mom. Most of the time, the boys would find ways to disappear, but she'd spend hours locked up in her tree house taking care of her little pretend family. Back then, it was her favorite thing to do. She wasn't just good with fake kids either. At about eleven she started helping the nursery at her church and she continued helping until she left for college.

At twelve, the strong woman in her started to come out and she decided that as well being a mother she also wanted to be a part-time doctor– because there was no way she was going to sit around and let her man do all the work. When she was sixteen, Quinn decided that being a doctor was in no way, shape or form for her, but her desire to be a mother hadn't changed. For a while she considered going into teaching, before ultimately deciding to pursue business. Still, that desire to be a mother someday was there. Maybe it wasn't as strong as it had been when she was eight, but it was there.

When she found out she actually was going to be a mother, the situation was less than ideal and because of that, Quinn found herself drowning in her own sorrows. Instead of allowing herself to be happy about this dream finally coming to fruition, she was busy dwelling on the way others would perceive her now – most specifically her parents.

Not anymore, though. It's time for her to stop caring about what others will think. She still wishes this baby wasn't conceived out of wedlock, but there's nothing she can do about that anymore. What's done is done and she finds now that she's more than ready to accept it – she's _happy _to.

So as she and Puck enter the apartment later that afternoon, she's not surprised to find the thrill from earlier still in full force. Puck's looking at her in an amused sort of way as she flops down on to the couch and lets out a content sigh.

"You're still happy," he states, as if it's some sort of miracle that she hasn't rebounded back to her pessimism yet.

"Yes," she says, lips twitching into a smile.

Puck moves her legs so that he can join her on the couch. Feeling a bit playful, she decides to let her legs rest her legs on Puck's lap. "So what changed your mind? Finding out she's a girl or seeing her up on that screen?"

"A combination of both, I guess. I think I just finally realized what was happening. I always wanted to be a mom. You'd just have to ask anyone who knew me well as a kid and they'd tell you how much I wanted it. And so I guess seeing her on the ultrasound and hearing her heartbeat brought out the positive side of this all – which is that I'm getting what I always wanted. And it's kind of exciting."

He nods slowly and for the first time she notices that he's been a bit subdued ever since the appointment.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine," he says with a shrug. "It's all just…overwhelming."

"I know it's a lot to take in. It's taken me months to accept this, so you shouldn't worry if it takes awhile for you."

Puck doesn't answer her, just stares straight ahead at the blank TV screen. She knows something is bothering him and finds it just a little ironic that he'd start seeing the negative just when she started seeing the positive.

She can't question him any further, though, as he phone is ringing. Swinging her legs back around the couch, she reaches lazily over to the coffee table and grabs her purse. She digs through it for a second before pulling out the phone. She frowns as she reads the number, but is hit by a sudden but welcome wave of determination as she answers it. It's time to get this over with.

"Hi, Mom."

Puck's eyes widen as his eyes meet Quinn's. She gives him a resolute nod.

It's not her mother's voice on the other line, though. "Quinn." Her father's stern voice does not hold even a hint of a father excited to speak with his daughter.

"Dad," she murmurs. "Is everything alright?"

Her father very rarely calls, so she can't help but be worried that something bad has happened at home.

"You tell me."

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"An old friend of mine, Michael Carson, is a professor at your school. You've met him a few times before, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I got a call from him earlier today. He said he passed by you on the way to class the other day, and then he proceeded to congratulate me on the impending birth of my grandchild."

Her breath hitches. Puck's hand is on her back, stroking it lightly, as if he knows exactly what's being said on the other line. Answering the phone, she had made the quick decision to tell her parents. She just didn't expect it to happen this way, nor did she count on it being this hard.

"Dad…"

"Is it true?" There's pure venom in his voice and she knows that it's only going to get worse from here.

Before she can say anything, her mother's voice comes on the line. "Quinnie, _please _tell us it's not true."

Her mother doesn't sound angry, just scared. Quinn wishes she could soothe her mother's fears, but she can't.

"It's true," she says.

There's a dramatic intake of breath – her mother, obviously – and then silence.

"I'm sorry," Quinn says, not knowing what else to say in this situation. This is what she'd been dreading the most since finding out about the baby, and it's turning out to be just as bad as she expected.

"You're sorry," her father says flatly. "Well, that just makes everything better, doesn't it? The last I heard, my daughter was single, living on her own, with no boyfriend to speak of. Has that changed since the last time we spoke, Quinn? Have you somehow managed to find a man, get married, and get pregnant within the last two months?"

Tears well up in her eyes. Puck's hand grasps on to hers, his other still running up and down her back. "No, but Dad, I didn't mean for this to happen-"

"I don't care if you didn't mean for this to happen. You've gone against everything we've taught you and everything we raised you to be. You're a disgrace to the family name, Quinn."

"Dad, _please_."

"I will be terminating your bank account tomorrow morning. Our monthly checks will be discontinued."

She expected this, but that doesn't make it any easier. She chokes back a sob, trying to find something to get her father to understand, but she finds that there's nothing to say.

"Any other of our monetary contributions will be discontinued as well, including payments for your school."

"Russell, don't you think you're being a little harsh?"

Quinn's more than surprised at her mother coming to her defense, but before her mom can say anything else, Russell is cutting her off once more.

"Our daughter is _pregnant_, Judy. Pregnant and unmarried. So, no, I don't think I'm being harsh. I think I'm teaching our daughter to bear the responsibilities of her despicable actions." There's silence for a moment, then, "Goodbye, Quinn."

And then the phone clicks off and she closes her eyes, allowing the warm tears to fall freely down her cheeks.

She chokes out a bitter laugh. "Well, at least that's over with."

Puck's arms wrap around her, pulling her close to him. "I'm sorry," he murmurs into her ear.

She lets him hold her, knowing that he's the best comfort she has now.

She doesn't know how long they spend locked in each other's arms, but by the time she finally pulls away, she does know that feels a little better.

"Thanks," she says, wiping at her damp face.

"I'm always here," he replies simply.

She sniffles a little and lies back on the couch. "We're gonna have to move, you know."

"It's no big deal. I didn't move back here for the apartment."

"It's going to be a big downgrade."

"I've lived in my fair share of dumps, Quinn. I'll be okay." He rests his arm on her leg. "We all will."

She nods slowly. "I hope so."

"We _will_," he says firmly. She stares up at him, wanting so badly to believe him. He takes her hand in his and squeezes. "Just promise me you won't let this get to you. I want you to be happy about this, like earlier. I don't want you to be sad again, 'cause honestly, I really hate seeing you sad."

"I hate _being _sad," she says with a wry chuckle.

"Then choose not to be. I know it's tough now, but you don't need your mom and dad and you never have. We can do this, Quinn – me and you. We don't need anyone else."

She takes a slow, calming breath, and nods. He smiles at her action, leaning down and brushing a kiss against her forehead. She smiles softly at the feel of his lips against her skin. It's been a long time since she last felt that and now that she has, it would be a lie to say she doesn't want more. But not now. _Now _she has a whole lot more than relationships to worry about.

"Now that I think about it, though," Puck says, grinning down at her, "we'll probably need Rachel too. For babysitting and stuff."

Quinn laughs softly. "You've got a point."

"And Finn too. For when Rachel's driving us insane."

"Another good point."

"We're gonna be okay, Quinn," he says, turning serious once more.

"Yeah," she says, "we are."

And this time she really does believe it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So as I said last chapters, things are starting to wind down, but I've still got a few things left in store for the remainder of the story. However, the most of the upcoming drama isn't going to have to do with the Quick relationship, because I think we've had enough of that this story. And of course Quinn and Puck still have to get together...I promise that you won't have to wait much longer for that...in fact, it's going to happen sooner than you think!**

**So, a little bad news...I'm starting school again this week and that means I'm going to have much less time to write. Because of this updates are going to be a little more sporadic. Ideally, I don't want to go more than two weeks without updating, but with my new schedule, I really can't know for sure if that will happen. But I promise that I'll never leave you hanging for _too_ long, and this story is definitely going to be finished sooner rather than later.**

**Thanks so much for reading and please leave a review if you can!**


	12. Rain or Shine

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait. My classes have been taking up a big chunk of my time, more than I expected. My cat was also hit by a car this past week which just...sucks. I'm a big animal lover and this cat was really special to me, so losing her was a big blow. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of motivation to write...Hopefully this chapter won't reflect all that, though, as it's supposed to be a pretty fluffy one.**

**This chapter's title and lyrics are from a song by Matthew Perryman Jones.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: <em>Rain or Shine<em>**

_Look me in the eyes_  
><em>And tell me you don't feel a thing<em>  
><em>I'm laying out my heart<em>  
><em>And I'm giving you everything<em>

"I said it was gonna be a major downgrade."

The two of them are standing in the living room of their new apartment, taking in the scenery of the place they now called home. After spending all of yesterday moving, they're just now finished getting things unpacked. Puck thought that getting rid of all the moving boxes would make the place feel a little less cramped, but apparently he was wrong. The living room is tiny. That's the only word for it. It's got enough room for a couch, a recliner, and a TV - and even that is pushing it. The kitchen is small too and very basic, something Puck thinks will be the biggest issue, given Quinn's love of baking. There are two bedrooms - which was the selling point of the apartment and the reason he and Quinn ultimately decided to rent it. Of course the rooms, along with the one bathroom, are also very small, but that was no surprise.

Still, it isn't like the place is a dump. It's actually pretty nice, despite the size. The furnishing had been redone a couple years ago, so it looks pretty new, and it came with a brand new refrigerator and a place to connect the washing machine (Quinn was thrilled at that). But of course if compared to Quinn's old place, then yes, it's clearly a definite downgrade.

He drops himself on to the recliner and glances around the room proudly. "And like I said, I don't care."

"It feels kind of nice, though," Quinn says as she lies on the couch. "For once, I'm not depending on my parents to help with rent. We're on our own and it feels...satisfying."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, both tired from the day's events. Puck's just glad they got the move all over with. They started looking for places a few days after Quinn's parents cut her off, but it took them over a month to find a place they could actually agree on. Then it was another two weeks before they could move in. Now that they're finally here, Puck feels like it's the mark of a new beginning.

He glances over at Quinn, who's lying on her back on the couch, eyes closed, one hand behind her head while the other rests on top of her stomach. For the first time in a long time, she looks relaxed. Puck's glad; these past few weeks had been nothing but stress and it wasn't good for her or the baby. Or him, for that matter. Because when she goes crazy, he tends to go crazy too.

It could have been worse, though. Quinn's stress had more to do with finding a new apartment than the fight with her parents. Actually, Quinn took her parents cutting all ties with her remarkably well, considering, and in the end she decided she was glad to be moving on from the hold they had in her life.

"He's a hypocrite anyways," she had said a few days later, after she had some time to adjust.

"What do you mean?" Puck asked.

"I mean he's calling me out on my _despicable actions _while _he's_ the one who cheated on my mom when I was in middle school."

This had certainly been a surprise. "Wow. Your dad's a grade A asshole. No offense. Did your mom ever find out?"

"Of course. She was just too much of a coward to leave him."

From the sounds of it, Quinn's family is messed up and it's probably for the best that she separated herself from them. At least for now. She used to be close to her mother, so he knows that it's harder for her to cut ties with her mom than it is for her dad. He hopes that maybe someday she and her mom can reconcile.

Quinn releases a long yawn before stretching out on the couch. "I need to go to bed."

"Then why don't you?"

"I'm too tired to stand up."

"Come on, Quinn, you didn't do _that _much today. Mostly you just stood by and ordered everyone around."

She tilts her head up and gives him a feisty glare. "I think being six months pregnant gives me the excuse to do that."

"I don't know about that. You were pretty lazy."

A pillow hits him right in the face. "Shut up."

He chuckles as he takes the pillow and rests it behind his head. "Thanks, darling. And you know I'm kidding. You were a great today. We couldn't have done it without you."

They could have, actually, but he isn't about to tell her that.

She rolls her eyes, obviously not believing him, and stares up at the ceiling. "Your mom's coming tomorrow," she says out of the blue.

"I know. You're freaking out, aren't you?"

"Why would I be freaking out?"

"Because you're meeting my family. It's a big deal."

"I already met your sister," she reminds him. Abby had visited last weekend to help them get ready to move and, unsurprisingly, she and Quinn got along very well. Sometimes Puck even felt a little left out.

"Yeah, but she's just my sister. Meeting your significant other's _parents_ is considered to be a monumental moment in a relationship."

She sits up, positioning her back against the arm of the couch, and scoffs at him. "I'm _not _your significant other."

"Might as well be." He starts singing, "_Having my baby, what a lovely way of saying how much you love-"_

"Oh God, _shut _up. I despise that song."

He knows - he hates it too - but sometimes he just can't resist annoying her. He opens up to continue singing, but she cuts him off.

"As I was saying," she says, sending him a firm glare that tells him to shut his mouth or else. "We're not together."

Puck resists the urge to roll his eyes. "I _know _that. You don't have to remind me."

His romantic relationship with Quinn, or rather lack thereof, is something he is constantly aware of. She made it clear she wasn't ready for a relationship when she told him she was pregnant and he agreed that he would wait until she was ready. But after over two months of living with each other, his patience is wearing thin. It would be one thing if their friendship was strained, but since moving back, he feels like the two of them have only grown closer. There's no anger or resentment to be found anymore. The only tension between them, in fact, is sexual. Which makes it all the more frustrating that he can't have her.

He hasn't asked her about it since moving in, but it's getting to the point where he feels the need to have some sort of talk about their current relationship status, because she _has _to be feeling the pull between them just as much as he is.

So, in a split second decision, he decides that now is as good a time as any to go for it.

"I think we should be, though."

Instead of tensing up like he thought she would, she just chuckles. "You told me that already."

He launches himself from his chair and sits on the other end of the couch, so her feet are resting his lap. She crosses her arms over her stomach, looking annoyed at the intrusion of her personal space.

"You can't say you don't want it either," he says seriously.

She just shrugs noncommittally, as if she's not particularly interested in the conversation. He's not bothered by her reaction; in fact, he's actually a little surprised she's not dashing for her room.

He takes her silence as his cue to make a move. He edges closer to her, running his hand up her smooth leg as he does. It doesn't take long before he's propped over her, his legs on either side of hers, his face just inches from hers. He's practically straddling her, and the best part is she's not pulling away. He grins as the hand he's not using to hold himself up comes to rests on the side of her stomach. She's staring up at him with wide eyes. Her breathing is getting faster and he can tell she's having a hard time resisting him.

"You want me just as much as I want you." He lowers his head further and stares straight into her eyes. He's so close to her lips he can practically taste her. "Just admit it."

Her breath hitches and she closes her eyes. "No."

He cracks a smile. "Oh, Quinn, you know better than anyone that lying is a sin."

And then he brushes his lips against her neck, pressing his hips into hers as he adds to the temptation. A little moan escapes her and he grins against her skin in triumph. As she lies underneath him, he continues kissing down her neck, moving lower and lower, finishing off by placing a soft kiss on her belly. He glances back over at her face. Her eyes are still closed, but she's biting her lip in a way that tells him she doesn't want him to stop.

Unable to resist himself, he finds himself lowering his lips onto hers. She takes to him right away, her mouth moving hungrily against his. She's a very good kisser, but she probably had to be since it used to be the farthest she would allow herself to go. Until him.

Her hand grips the back of his shirt, her fingers kneading into his skin. He wants the shirt off, wants to feel her hands against his bare body, but he resists the urge, not wanting to risk pushing her too far. Feeling his arms start to cramp up, he maneuvers around so that he's laying on his side, all the while successfully keeping his lips attached to hers. His hand moves to rests on top of her stomach, the other running freely up and down the side of leg. It's not the most comfortable position, but he's not willing to break the moment.

He doesn't know how long they stay that way, just kissing, but he thinks it must be at least a solid ten minutes. And even though he wants so badly to carry her in to his room and have his way with her, he finds that this is good enough for now. After months of longing for another taste of her, he will never take kissing her like this for granted again.

When they do break apart, it's because of the sudden onslaught of kicking against his palm. Puck jumps back in surprise.

"Whoa!"

Quinn's lips are swollen as she gazes up at him with tired eyes. "You felt her kick before."

"Not that hard." He settles back on to his side and moves his hand back to her stomach. "She's going crazy in there."

Quinn just nods, smiling softly as she observes him. Puck presses a kiss to her belly and a second later there's another kick. Quinn's hand moves to the back of Puck's head, her fingers trailing lazily through the little hair he has. He smiles as he meets her warm gaze. Keeping one hand securely on her stomach, he moves the other to cup her face.

"You know I love you, right?" he asks.

"Yes."

"And you love me?"

She's quiet for a moment, but her answer is firm. "Yes."

"Then let's do this. Let's be together."

Her face is unreadable as she considers his words. He wants so badly for her to say yes to this too, but he knows that even if she doesn't, she will come around eventually. He just _really _hopes that eventually is right now.

Her next words take his breath away. "Okay."

His face breaks into a smile as he leans down and kisses her again. She kisses him back with just as much enthusiasm.

He breaks away suddenly and stares down at her seriously. "You're not gonna change your mind?"

Her thumb strokes his cheek. "Not unless you give me a reason to."

"I won't," he says, and he nuzzles into her neck. "I promise you, I'm not gonna screw this up."

He feels her nodding against him and the relief floods his body. She's finally going to give him a chance. His smile grows wider as he finds his way back to her lips again, and soon he is lost in her once more.

**888**

Quinn had been worried that she would wake up the next morning with a lot of regrets, so she's pleasantly surprised when she opens her eyes and feels nothing of the sort. What surprises her even more is that she actually feels very good about her decision to move forward with Puck. Almost giddily so.

She finds herself grinning like a fool as she stretches out on her bed. A big part of her wishes he was lying here next to her, but she didn't let him get _that _far last night, and even though the temptation to do so was overwhelming, in the end, Quinn knows it's for the best. She wants to take things slowly with him, something she made clear before they went their separate ways last night. She could tell he was slightly disappointed, but he didn't argue as he kissed her goodnight and disappeared into his bedroom.

The door to her room squeaks open and she glances over to find Puck standing in the doorway.

"My mom's gonna be here in a little over an hour."

She notices a nervous edge in his voice and she thinks it's because he's worried that his mom isn't going to like her. She's a little worried herself, but from what Puck's sister told her on her visit, she really doesn't need to; apparently, Puck's mom is very excited to meet her.

"She already loves you," Abby had told her.

Quinn couldn't understand that. "Why?"

Abby's answer was as simple as could be, "Because you make him happy."

Quinn eases herself up and rests her back against the headboard. She pats the free spot next to her, signaling that she wants him to join her. He sits down, but not before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Morning," he says with a big grin.

She smiles back. "Morning."

He cups her cheek and pulls her face to his, but before he can seal the deal Quinn flinches away. "Trust me, you _really_ don't want to kiss me right now. I've got morning breath."

He kisses her anyway. She smiles against his lips, thankful that at least his own breath is minty fresh. His arm wraps around her and she relaxes against him, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

"You're worried about your mom coming, aren't you?"

He stares down at her like she has two heads. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Because I know you." She grins as she slips her hand into his. "And I've never known you to get up earlier than ten o'clock unless absolutely necessary." She nods over to the clock. "It's only eight-thirty, and you're already showered, dressed, and ready for the day."

"Well, I had to be prepared...She said she'd be here by ten."

"Puck, just admit that you're nervous."

"I won't, cause I'm not."

She scoffs as she removes herself from his hold. "You're ridiculously stubborn sometimes."

"I could say the same about you. I mean _you're _the one who has been so adamant about being just friends all this time, even though we both know you really wanted more than that."

Quinn twists around so she's sitting cross legged in front of him. "So are we talking about our relationship now?"

"Well, we didn't really talk about it last night."

"And that wasn't my fault."

"I'm not saying it was." He smirks as he leans towards her and takes her hand back into his. "As a matter of fact, I don't really mind that we didn't talk too much."

"But you want to talk now," she states.

"I think it wouldn't be a bad idea."

Quinn shrugs. "Okay, fine. There's really only one issue with me and it's something I already told you last night."

"You want to take it slow," Puck says.

"Yes."

There's a mischievous look in his eye as he grins over at her. "Define slow."

She watches Puck's thumb gently stroke her hand as she considers the question. "No sex." Puck lets out a dramatic groan, but she cuts him off. "_Yet. _I'm not ready to do it again. The first time was nice but the aftermath was...not what I expected."

"That was just pure bad luck," Puck defends. "Plus, you're already pregnant now, so what else can happen?"

"I wasn't just talking about the pregnancy. I meant..._everything._"

His eyes narrow as he realizes what she's getting at. "You're talking about me leaving."

Her gaze falls down to their intertwined hands. This is definitely not a conversation she planned having today, but now that they're here they might as well. Before she can say anything, though, Puck softly tilts her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I won't leave you like that ever again," he tells her, and she can hear the pure sincerity in his voice. "I never intended for things to go down the way they did. You have to believe me, Quinn, I would never, _ever _take advantage of you."

"I believe you." She brushes her hand softly against his cheek. "And I'm sorry that I made you feel that you did. I was just so hurt that you kept all that from me and I was angry that you had to leave and...It was just _really _hard for me to accept that I was losing you."

"You didn't lose me." He places a soft kiss on her lips before resting his forehead against hers. "And you never will."

"I know," she says, and she truly does. Even when Puck did leave, he still wanted to be with her. The lack of contact between them was completely her fault. If he had his way, there wouldn't have been a day that went by that they didn't speak to each other.

Puck pulls her body into him. She relaxes into his embrace as she tucks her head underneath his chin. His hands run up and down her back in a soothing way and she's more than thankful for the comfort it brings. He makes her feel safe - something she's never felt with another person. And it's this feeling that reminds her of another emotion she's never truly felt before he came along.

"I love you," she murmurs.

He kisses the top of her head and she can feel his mouth twist into a wide smile. "I love you too."

**888**

It's the sudden knocking at the front door that finally breaks them apart. Puck groans as he regretfully tears his lips from hers. "Mom's here."

Quinn jumps up from the bed and makes a beeline for her closet. "I haven't even taken a shower," she says in a panicked tone.

"Don't worry." Puck comes from behind and circles his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach. "You look beautiful."

"I'm not worried. _You're _worried. Remember?"

"I'm not," he insists, although he kind of is. It's not every day that the woman who raised you met the woman you were in love with, who also just so happened to be pregnant with your child. It's a big deal and he doesn't want anything to go wrong.

She pulls away from Puck's hold and turns around. "Shouldn't you be answering the door?"

"Oh. Yeah. I probably should. Mom doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Proving his statement, the knocking sounds again, this time louder and much longer; clearly his mother is becoming impatient.

"I'm coming!" Puck yells.

When he opens the door he's greeted by a stern looking face. "Finally. I thought you'd died or something."

"Sorry, I was just..." Making out with my girlfriend, but there's no way he's telling her that. "I was unpacking."

His mom's lips twist into a teasing smile. "It's okay. Now are you gonna hug me or not?"

He just laughs and let her pull him into one of her very familiar, knock-the-wind-out-of-you hugs. "Missed you, Mom," he says.

"I missed you too, sweetie. I'm so glad that I finally get to come visit you."

"Me too."

He takes her bag and leads her inside, before quickly depositing her suitcase in his room. His mom originally planned on getting a hotel room, but Puck wouldn't hear it, so now he's letting her have his room, while he takes the couch. He doesn't mind at all; after all his mom has done for him over his lifetime, it's the least he could do.

"And I can't wait to meet Quinn," she says as the two of them stand in the living room. "Abby really loved her, you know."

"I'm glad. I want her to love her. I want _you _to love her."

His mom beams at him. "Because _you _love her."

"Well...yeah." He shrugs awkwardly. He still feels weird talking to his mom about his love life, and he doubts that will ever change.

"So where is she?"

"Getting dressed. She shouldn't be much longer."

And she isn't. Not a second later, Quinn's bedroom door opens and he can't help but smile when she appears in the doorway. She managed to put herself together quite well, considering she only had about five minutes. Her previously messy bed hair has been neatly brushed and she removed her comfortable gray sweats and replaced them with a pair of black skinny jeans. Her loose fitting gray and white striped sweater doesn't showcase her growing stomach, but doesn't hide it either. In short, Puck thinks she looks beautiful.

His mom doesn't give Quinn much time for an introduction. She walks up to Quinn, a big smile on her face, and pulls her into her arms. Over his mom's shoulder, Quinn looks at him in surprise.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," his mom says as she pulls away.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Puckerman," Quinn says.

"Sherri," his mom says. "Mrs. Puckerman makes me sound like an old woman."

"Which you are," Puck says.

His mom shoots him a playful glare before focusing on Quinn again. "You're just as beautiful as Noah described."

Quinn looks a little embarrassed, but shoots her a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Mom, why don't you sit down and I'll get us some food. I'm starving."

While Puck walks the short distance to the kitchen, the two of them sit down on the couch.

"This is a nice place you've got here," his mom says as she seems to finally realize where she is. She'd been bugging Puck about their apartment search ever since he told her they were moving. "It's very cozy."

"Cozy is a nice way of saying it's tiny," Puck says as he sets a plate of scones in front of them before taking a seat in the recliner.

"It's the perfect size for a little family," Sherri replies. "You know, when you were born we lived in an apartment just this size. You wouldn't remember it, of course, but we lived there until you were two, and it worked out just fine."

"We'll be fine here," Quinn says. "I guess we were just spoiled by our old place."

"It was a _lot _bigger. At least double the size. But hey, I'm not complaining. I'm perfectly fine wherever I am." He grins teasingly at Quinn. "As long as I'm with you."

She rolls her eyes at the cheesy line and smiles over at his mom, who's chuckling quietly at their exchange. "He likes to think he's charming."

"I _am_. You know that first hand. It's why you were never able to resist me."

"I resisted you for a very long time," she counters.

"But not anymore."

His mom looks at them both, clearly surprised. "Not anymore? Are you two...?"

Puck shares a look with Quinn - permission to let the cat out of the bag - and she gives a brief nod. So he wraps an arm around her shoulder and smiles cheekily over at his mother. "We're officially together."

It's not surprising when his mom's face breaks into a big smile. Even though she hadn't met Quinn until now, it was no secret to Puck that she was rooting for them.

"That's wonderful," she declares and then she pulls Puck, followed by Quinn, into another hug. "We'll have to start planning for the wedding." Puck tenses and Quinn shoots him a coy smile, but luckily his mom just laughs. "Relax, Noah, I'm just teasing. We'll save the wedding talk until _after _the baby's born."

They spend much of the morning simply talking and it doesn't take long for Quinn and his mom to get comfortable around each other. His mom is pretty great to Quinn, something that he's extremely grateful for, since she has always been overprotective of him – just another reason he'd always avoided introducing his mom to his past girlfriends. So the fact that his mother welcomed Quinn into her life with open arms is a big relief, so much so that he is wondering why he was so worried in the first place (yes, Quinn was right, he _had _been worried - not that he would ever let Quinn know that).

At around noon, Quinn has to leave for work. She bids them both goodbye and promises to be back at around seven.

"So," Puck says as the door swings behind Quinn, "what do you think?"

"I like her," Sherri says. "She's a sweet girl"

Puck waits expectantly. "And...?"

"And...she is an _excellent _cook. These scones are delicious!"

"Really? That's all you have to say? Nothing negative?"

His mom laughs. "Why would I have anything negative to say?"

"Because you've hated _every single girlfriend I've introduced you to_."

"That's because those girls were not worthy of my son."

Puck cocks an eyebrow. "And Quinn is?"

"Yes, she is. You want to know why?"

"Obviously."

"Well, you already know, as I've told you before, but I'll tell you again - it's because she makes you happy. That's all I could ever want for you."

Despite the mushiness of the conversation, he finds himself smiling widely. "Really?"

"Really."

Puck relaxes back into the couch. Now that's he's got his mother's full approval, he feels like he's got nothing left to worry about his mother's visit.

"So how are _you _doing, Noah?" his mom asks.

"Me?" He shrugs. "I'm fine."

"We haven't talked too much about the baby since you first told me, and you were obviously still in shock back then, so I couldn't get a good feel on how you really felt about it."

Puck glances down at his hands uncomfortably. "Yeah..."

The truth is he's been avoiding talking to his mom about the baby because he still has some issues of his own that he's got to deal with. Ever since realityset in that this is _really _happening, he'd been starting to doubt himself. He tried to act like he was completely confident in front of everyone - especially Quinn - but obviously it's just an act. In reality, he's scared as hell that he's going to let down Quinn and turn out to be an awful dad. Just like his own father.

"So how are you feeling about it now?"

"I just told you- I'm fine." He puts on a happy face. "Seriously, I'm excited. I mean, it's kind of crazy when I think about it, but I'm really looking forward to being a dad."

He's not lying there. Even though he does have his worries, he definitely can't wait to meet his little girl..

"You'll be a wonderful father, Noah," his mom says softly. He wonders if she's saying that because she knows he needs to hear it or because it's something she truly believes. He has a feelings it's both.

"Thanks, Mom." And now it's time for a subject change. "So I thought you and I could do some sightseeing today. How's that sound?"

His mother looks thrilled at the prospect and, as usual, he's all smiles too. But even though he finds her support for his impending fatherhood encouraging, he still can't help but worry that she's put too much faith in him. After all, she probably though his dad would be a wonderful father too. And look how that turned out.

**888**

By the time Quinn arrives home from work later that evening, she's exhausted. She has been working a lot more lately, mostly because they need the money, but also because not going to school gives her a lot of free time. As her pregnancy progresses, though, she finds that her tolerance for even her shorter shifts is greatly waning and she wonders how much longer she can handle it.

When she enters the apartment, Puck's mom is fluttering busily around the kitchen. Sherri takes notice of Quinn right away.

"Good! You're back. Dinner's just about ready."

Quinn wanders into the kitchen and finds that Sherri seems to have cooked up an array of interesting looking dishes - most of which Quinn doesn't recognize. "You cooked?"

"Well, Noah wasn't going to - that boy can be so lazy - and I figured you could use a nice home cooked meal after being on your feet all day."

Quinn gives her a sincere smile. "That's sweet of you."

Quinn had decided almost right away that she really likes Puck's mother. There's just something about Sherri that makes Quinn feel comfortable. Like her son, she's enjoys talking, but most of the times it's not about herself. She's considerate and attentive towards Quinn, and it's clear that she's sincerely interested in everything Quinn has to say - even on the topic of religion, which is something they discussed briefly, but respectfully. Overall, Quinn finds Sherri to be quite the opposite of her own mother, who is generally uptight and self-centered. And even though Quinn truly does love her mom despite all her faults, she can't deny that having Puck's mom around is very refreshing.

"Where is Puck anyway?" Quinn asks as she takes a seat at the dinner table.

"He went out to grab a few last minute groceries. He left about a half an hour ago, so he shouldn't be much longer."

Quinn watches as Sherri maneuvers around the kitchen like an expert. Puck mentioned before that his mother loved to cook and she can see now that he wasn't exaggerating.

"So what are you making? I don't recognize much of it."

"Well, Noah said earlier that you hadn't ever had any Jewish food so I thought I'd introduced you to the marvels of Jewish cuisine. I hope that's okay - I promise the food will actually be very tasty."

"No, it's fine. I'm open to anything, really."

They spend a few minutes talking casually. Quinn tells her about her day at work, while Sherri tells her about Puck showing her around Manhattan. Despite not living too far away from the city, Sherri had only been to New York a handful of times, so she always found a visit here exciting.

It's when they start talking about how Quinn's passion for baking came from her own mother that the conversation takes a more serious turn.

Sherri takes a seat next to Quinn at the table and gives her a sympathetic look. "Noah told me your parents cut you off."

"Yeah," Quinn murmurs. "It wasn't really a big surprise. My dad's just really...strict about these sorts of things."

Sherri smiles wryly. "Strict is probably a nice way of putting it."

"He held me to a standard I couldn't live up to," Quinn says with a shrug. "Frankly, I'm surprised I wasn't cut off sooner."

"Did your mother feel the same?"

"My mom tends to not think for herself. Whatever my dad wants, she wants too - even if she really doesn't."

"Was she always that way?"

Quinn thinks of the hours she'd spend in the kitchen, just her and her mom. Her mother taught her all she knew about baking, and through that made Quinn who she is today. Then she thinks of when she was a little kid and her mother would take her and her sister on little trips on the weekends her dad had to work. Sometimes they'd go to a spa, or they'd travel to Columbus or Cleveland and go on a shopping spree. One time, when she was twelve, they even went to New York City - which is when she decided she wanted to live there someday. Those were the days when her mother saw herself as her husband's equal, not just a housewife whose sole job was to take care of her husband.

"No," Quinn says. "Not always. After my dad..." She pauses, unsure if she wants to go down this path, but decides that she wants Sherri to know. They are, after all, practically family. "When I was thirteen she found out my dad was having an affair, and it just really hit her hard."

Sherri looks at her in surprise "They didn't get a divorce?"

"No. She thought about it, but my dad made it clear the affair was over and that the only woman he wanted was my mother. I personally think the only reason he made an effort to keep her from getting a divorce is because he didn't want anyone else finding out what he'd done. He had an image around town to keep up. So my mom decided to stay with him, and as far as we both knew, he stopped the affair. But I think from that moment on, she felt like it was her own fault that he cheated on her, like she was never good enough for him. And that's why she lets him control her like he does."

"That's a tough situation to be in," Sherri says. "And I can't help but feel for your mother. I kept my ex around much longer than I should have."

Instinctively, Quinn leans forward. Puck very rarely spoke about his father. All she knew was that his mom and dad got divorced when Puck was a teenager and that his dad wasn't a great guy. So naturally, she is more than curious to learn more.

"Puck hasn't told me much about his dad."

"That's because he's isn't a huge fan of the guy. James left when Noah was eight. Abby was barely a year. I guess he just decided he's just had enough of being a father. Not that he was much of a father to begin with. We got together when we were just eighteen. I suppose you could say he swept me off my feet. He was handsome - Noah definitely gets his looks from him - and he was as charming as they come. My parents never liked him, and I never understood why. Looking back, though, it was incredibly obvious - he was a wild guy, a college dropout, always in between jobs. But I loved him too much to care. I found out I was pregnant with Noah when we were only twenty, and from that point on James was a different man. He wasn't happy about it when I told him, said he wasn't ready to have kids. He took off for a few months, and I was absolutely heartbroken. I honestly thought I'd never see him again. So when he came back, apologized for his behavior, and begged for me to take him back, I couldn't say no. He asked me to marry him a few weeks later, and I said yes to that to. Everything seemed to be coming into place. And for a few years we were happy and he was actually a decent father to Noah. But then he started drinking all the time and staying late at work and eventually it got to the point where he was only at the house a few times a week. When I found out we were having another baby, I told him he needed to step it up or leave. He promised me he'd try to be better, but it didn't last long."

"He left," Quinn says.

"Yup, didn't even bother to tell me. I only found out where he was because he'd called his mother to ask for money, and then she called me to let me know he was out in California."

Quinn shakes her head in disgust. She understands now why Puck doesn't like talking about his dad. He makes her own father look respectable in comparison. "Did he ever come back?"

"He did. About four years later. It was the same story as the first time. And I was just struggling so much on my own that I couldn't say no. He stuck around another six months before leaving again. This time he actually told me he was going to my face and I told him not to bother coming back. He still did, about a couple years later, and he was drunk out of his mind. I slammed the door in his face, but not before telling him to expect a call from my divorce lawyer."

"And you haven't seen him since?"

"Nope. After the divorce went through, I haven't heard a peep from him. It's for the best. I don't think Noah or Abby would benefit from him being in their life."

"From the sounds of it, it's probably a good thing he wasn't around most of the time anyway."

"You're definitely right there. Noah's a good man, and I couldn't be more proud of him, but if his father had stuck around who knows how he would have influenced him."

The timer on the oven rings and Sherri stands to turn it off. As she pulls the tray of food out of the oven, she looks at Quinn seriously.

"I'm not sure Noah would appreciate me telling you this, but I had a little talk with him earlier and I got the impression that he's a bit nervous about fatherhood than he's letting on."

Quinn's eyes widen in surprise. "You think that he's worried he's going to turn out like his father?"

"That's exactly what I think," Sherri says.

"That's ridiculous, though. The fact that he'd be worrying about it all proves that he's nothing like his father."

"You're right, but he doesn't seem to understand that. I was going to tell him that myself, but then I thought that maybe it'd be better if you two discuss it. I think it would mean a whole lot more coming from you."

Quinn nods slowly. "Yeah, I will..."

She hears the lock on the front door start jingling and then Puck's walking in, holding a bag of groceries.

"Took forever," Puck grumbles. "The line was practically out the door."

His mom takes the bag from him and sets to work with finishing the dinner. Puck grins at Quinn and places a soft kiss on her cheek before heading into his bedroom to change. She watches him go with narrowed eyes. She never really noticed any strange behavior from him about the baby before her talk with Puck's mom. Usually, he seemed so happy about everything. But now that Sherri brought it up, she realizes that maybe him trying to act like everything was perfect was him trying convince himself that he was nothing like his father.

But then she thinks of after that first doctor's appointment he'd went to with her, how his attitude seemed to do a one-eighty from excitement to overwhelmed. She hadn't thought much of it, mostly because her parents had called right afterwards, and after that they were so focused on trying to figure out what they were going to do with the apartment that she hadn't really had time to think about his change in behavior. But now, thanks to his mother bringing it all back up, she is almost positive now that the reason behind his attitude change had to do with thoughts of his father.

And as Puck enters the room, with that typical cheerful smile on his face, Quinn decides that she _definitely _going to talk about this to him - and she's going to do it as soon as possible.

**888**

His mom goes to bed at around eleven, leaving Puck and Quinn in the living room by themselves. Puck is glad for the alone time for obvious reasons. He grins widely over at Quinn before scooting close to her and pulling her in for a kiss. It's more than disappointing when she flinches away before he can get even close.

He sighs dramatically. "It's been twenty-four hours and you're already getting tired of me."

"Shut up," she says as she playfully swats his arm. "I just have something I wanted to talk to you about."

"You hate my mom, don't you?"

"No, I don't, and stop jumping to conclusions. It's annoying."

"Okay, fine," he says, chuckling softly. Judging by the way she's looking at him, he's thinking this conversation is going to be more on the serious side. He takes a deep breath, sits back, and hopes for the best. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I just...I wanted to know how you were doing with...everything."

"_Everything_. That's very specific."

"No, I..." She shakes her head tiredly and he wonders what's gotten into her. "Your mom and I were talking about your dad earlier."

And _there _it is. He releases a frustrated sigh, mentally cursing his mother for bringing up the one subject he tried so hard to stay away from. He opens his mouth to reply, but finds he has nothing to say; his father is not someone he likes to think about, let alone talk about.

Sensing his discomfort, Quinn continues, "She thinks that you're worried that you'll turn out like him."

He suddenly finds himself growing angry. If his mother thought that, why wouldn't she confront _him _about it? What made her think she needed to go to Quinn instead? He wrings his hands together, clenching his teeth as he tries to keep himself from exploding on Quinn. It's not her fault, after all.

"You're mad at your mom," Quinn says knowingly. "But you shouldn't be. She's just looking out for you. She wanted me to talk to you about it because she thought you'd take it better coming from me."

He narrows his eyes as he looks over at her. "So you think I'm feeling that way too?"

"From all that your mom told me about your dad, I wouldn't blame you at all if you did."

He stares straight ahead and doesn't say anything, finding that the silence is likely to soothe his anger and therefore give him better perspective on this. Quinn's right - he's angry with his mother for bringing this all up to Quinn and also for assuming his own feelings without straight up asking him about it. But he also understands where his mother is coming from. Earlier today, he felt like she was going to ask him about this very subject, but luckily he managed to stray away from it. That's why he shouldn't be completely surprised that she brought it up with Quinn.

And, despite his frustration, he has to admit that his mother was right in her assumptions. He has been worrying about what kind of father he would be to his daughter, and it would be a lie to say the fear of becoming his father wasn't forefront on his mind.

He turns back to Quinn. Her gaze is soft, comforting, and above all supportive. She gives him a soft smile as she places her hand over his.

"I worry about it a lot," he finally admits. "I don't know how to be a father, and I feel like...you learn from what you had, you know?"

She squeezes his hand. "But your father wasn't a good guy, whereas _you..._you're the best man I know."

"I wasn't always this way, Quinn. I used to be just like him. I drank all time, I partied, I slept around. I was a screw up."

"But that was the old you, Puck. You've grown up. You're not that guy anymore."

"Doesn't mean I won't be him again. My dad grew up too. He was pretty good to me and my mom the first few years."

Quinn just shakes her head. "That's not going to happen, Puck. Do you want to know why?"

He smirks. "Enlighten me."

"When I told you I was pregnant, one of the first things you asked me was if I was planning on keeping it. I told you I was. Do you remember what you said next?" He shrugs in reply, because that night was such a crazy blur in his mind that he truly doesn't remember. "You said _good_," she answers for him. "You wanted this baby, Puck - right from the very beginning."

"Of course I did," he says, his voice rising slightly, because he isn't sure where she's going with this.

She continues, oblivious to his frustration. "The next thing you did was tell me you were coming back here, that you were going to take care of us both. And then I tried to push you away, and basically gave you a free pass to let me and the baby go, but you didn't. You didn't let us go. You fought me on it, because you wanted to be a part of our child's life."

He stares at her as if she's crazy. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're not your father," she says simply. "When your mother told your father she was pregnant with you, he freaked out. He _left, _Puck. That act in itself should show you how different you and your father are."

He remains silent, soaking her words in. He never knew that his father left his mother when she was pregnant with him and wonders why his mother neglected to give him that piece of information. He supposes that if he had known, he might not have worried so much. He sees now how Quinn can seem so convinced that she's right - that he's nothing like his father - and it does make him feel much better about it all. Still, he doubts he'll ever really be able to stop worrying.

Her warm hand cups his chin, tilting her face towards hers. She gives him a soft smile. "You know the fact that you worry at all means you're nothing like him either."

"Never thought about it like that," he says, finding himself smiling too.

"You're a great guy, Puck," she says seriously, and she leans in closer to him to rest her forehead on his. "There is no one else I'd want to be the father of my child."

And that's all he needs to hear. He closes the distance between them, circling his arms around her waist and kissing her with all that he has.

"Thank you," he says, after they've broken apart.

She runs her hand across the back of his head before caressing his cheek. "I mean every word."

And that meant everything to him.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought in a review!<strong>


	13. Arms

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoy a super fluffy Christmas chapter on Halloween!**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by Christina Perri.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: <em>Arms<em>**

_I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart__  
><em>_But you came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start__  
><em>_You put your arms around me__  
><em>_And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go__  
><em>_You put your arms around me and I'm home_

As the next two months roll by, much of Puck's time is spent at work. More often than not, he works overtime, something he can't really complain about considering they really need the money. Before Quinn, Puck never really worried much about money. Until the last few months leading up to him being kicked out of his apartment, he always managed to scrape up enough money each month to pay his portion of the rent. Even when his hours got cut and he could no longer make his payments on time, he couldn't bring himself to fret about it too much. He always assumed things would just work out in the end, and if they didn't, he'd just have to move back home. Now, though, it's about more than just him. He's working to provide for three people now - himself, Quinn, and his daughter. The stakes are higher and Puck will do anything he can to make sure his girls are taken care of.

Quinn, on the other hand, has started working less and less. Puck knows that if it were up to her, she'd be working full-time, but luckily he's managed to sway her into taking it easy. Now that she's reached her eighth month of pregnancy, there's no reason for her to be on her feet more than she has to be. His job pays well enough to cover their monthly budget for now.

And now, as the holiday season arrives, Puck is thankful he worked those extra hours, because he has saved up more than enough money buy his mom, sister, and Quinn more than decent Hanukkah presents. He's also managed to make sure he's got enough money to cover his Christmas plans for Quinn. Given his Jewish upbringing, Puck has never actually celebrated Christmas before, but he has a good enough handle on it to know what he has to do. And what he has to do is give Quinn the best Christmas possible.

It's pretty clear she has been trying to hide it from him, but he could easily see the way her mood shifted once the Christmas decorations popped up all over the city after Thanksgiving and it's doesn't take a genius to figure out why - it's the first Christmas she's spending without her family. And even though Puck isn't a huge fan of her mom and dad, he understands that she still cares for them both, so being without them this time of year has to be hard for her.

He crossed the first thing off his list a week ago. Saturday morning, after Quinn had left for her shift, he and Sam took a trip out of the city and cut down a tree from the tree farm that Sam's family went to every year. Of course he picked the biggest one he could find (that would actually fit in their apartment) and by the time Quinn arrived home it was set up in the living room, ready for them both to decorate. He was rewarded with a wonderful make out session after they'd finished. The next item on the list was Quinn's gift, which he purchased a few days ago - a cross shaped diamond pendant necklace which had cost him a good portion of his holiday budget.

And now he's working on the final stage of his plan - setting up the baby's nursery. It's something he considers more of a gift to the baby then her, but he thinks she'll love it all the same. She's been talking about it for weeks now, but seemed to have come to the conclusion that for the time being a nursery just wouldn't work. For one, they were renting their apartment, which means they'd have to paint everything white all over again once they left. Secondly, they only had two rooms and despite their relationship, they were both still sleeping separately. She told him she was fine with the baby sleeping in her room.

He doesn't feel the same way about any of her reasons for not having a nursery and he plans on proving that to her on Christmas morning. The best part is that she basically planned the whole thing. He asked her what she wanted the room to be like for future reference and she gave him a detailed description of her dream nursery. Apparently she was a _lot _more excited about the arrival of their baby then she was letting on.

Now he is once again working in secret while Quinn is at work. He doesn't have much time to finish it as Christmas is only two days away, so he's enlisted the help of Finn to make sure he gets it done in time.

"I just realized something," Finn says after about an hour of painting. He sets the paintbrush down and looks at Puck with an amused smile. "This is your room."

"No shit."

Finn ignores the sarcasm. "Are you still planning on sleeping in here once the baby comes? Cause no offense, but that would be kind of weird."

"That's the only issue with the plan," Puck admits. "But I have a feeling Quinn's gonna be so happy with all this that she'll practically invite me to move into her bedroom."

Finn looks unimpressed at Puck's reasoning. "I wouldn't count on it. Quinn's pretty set in her ways and if she doesn't want to share a room with you, it's probably not gonna happen. Not unless you put a ring on her finger."

Puck releases an instinctive, nervous chuckle before concentrating on putting the finishing touches on the crib he's been assembling for the last hour. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he chances a glance at Finn, who thankfully has resumed his painting.

It's not like this is the first time someone has mentioned marriage to him. His mom, for instance, tried to force him into a conversation about it during her visit, and few times since then as well. But it's just not something Puck is ready to really talk about yet. He knows he should be - he and Quinn are having a baby together, after all - but he doesn't want to marry her just because they're having a kid. That's why his mom and dad got married and based on how that turned out, he doesn't think it's a healthy foundation for a marriage.

Of course there are some good reasons to consider marriage. For instance, the fact that he's crazy in love with her is definitely a motivating factor. But even then, he's not sure it's a good idea. He has a strong feeling he will marry Quinn someday, probably even within the next couple of years, but baby or no baby, he doesn't see the reason to rush into after just a few months of being together. Quinn probably feels the same way.

He's pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of the front door slamming. He races to check the time and realizes he lost track of it hours ago. Puck jumps from his spot on the ground and quickly shuts the door to his room before Quinn can see. He's had a hard time keeping her out of it the past few weeks and he's pretty sure she's starting to get suspicious.

Finn looks at Puck with wide eyes. "Is it already five?"

"Looks like it. Way to keep an eye out on the clock, dude."

"I thought that was your job."

Puck instructs Finn to lean against the door, making sure there's no way Quinn will be able to sneak in, and thinks fast. "Okay, we'll just say we're doing some song writing. She won't have a problem believing that."

The door handle twists and Puck holds back a groan. He wishes now more than ever that he had a lock on his door.

"Puck? Why isn't your door opening?"

"It's, uh...stuck." Finn snickers at his poor excuse - one that he has used multiple times now - but Puck silences him with a glare. "Don't worry about it, babe. I'll be out on a second."

He orders Finn remain firmly in place, waiting until they hear her walk away before Puck tells Finn he can move.

"Sooner or later she's gonna find a way to get in here," Finn says as he starts setting the paint cans in the closet. "Maybe you should just tell her before she does."

"No," Puck says determinedly, "I'm sticking with my plan. I'm waiting until Christmas."

Finn just shrugs and the two of them quietly slip out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Quinn is in the kitchen, looking a bit annoyed as she works on dinner.

"You should get that door fixed," she says. "It's been giving you problems for weeks now."

"Yeah...I'm working on it. That's actually why Finn was here...he's, uh, good...with doors."

Quinn stares at him with narrowed eyes, while Finn looks back nervously at Puck. "Well, we were also working on some songs, so we figured why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"'Course Finn couldn't actually fix it. Turns out he's not as good as he thinks he is."

Finn suppresses a smirk. "Don't worry. I think it'll work itself out. Just give it a few days."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Puck asks pointedly. No way is he going to let Finn ruin this surprise, especially now that Christmas is so close. Unfortunately for him, Finn doesn't seem to be catching on.

"Not really."

"But don't you and Rachel leave tonight for Lima?" he persists.

"What? No, we're staying in the city this year, remember? Rachel's got a rehearsal tonight anyways, so I'm pretty free to hang out with you guys."

Puck groans. "Finn, dude, I love you like a brother, but right now I'd really like some alone time with my girl."

It seems pretty likely that he was just giving Puck a hard time as his lips twist into a wicked grin. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Puck walks Finn to the door and the two quickly conspire to work on the room one last time tomorrow morning, when Quinn is at work, before Finn is finally on his way.

When he turns around, however, Quinn is no longer in the kitchen. In fact, she's nowhere to be seen. His head twists to the left and to his horror he finds the door to his room cracked open, light peeking through the crack. He had turned the light off before he left.

And his plan is officially out of the window.

He finds her standing in the middle of the room, looking both shocked and impressed. She turns to face him, her expression turning to one of amusement. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're door's not really broken."

He smiles softly as he takes the few steps to meet her. "Figured that one out, huh?"

"I knew something was up, but I just never thought..." She looks overwhelmed as she shakes her head at it all. "It looks just like I wanted it to."

"Yeah, well, I wanted it to be perfect. Obviously we've still got to finish painting, but other than that, we're pretty much done." He places a hand on her back as she continues to look completely awestruck. "I was planning on this being a Christmas surprise."

"Well, it may not be Christmas, but I'm still surprised." She looks up at him, a big smile crossing her lips. "_Very _surprised."

He circles his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he can with her belly in the way. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." She wraps her arms behind his neck and nuzzles nose against his. "And I love you." As if to prove it, she pulls his head down to hers, their lips meeting in a short but tender kiss.

It's obvious she's dying to look around some more, so he releases his hold on her and she wanders around the room with a big smile on her face. The room is fairly simple - Quinn was never a fan of being over the top, a quality that, according to Quinn, is very much opposite from her mother. Three of the walls are a pale pink, with the back wall where the window is being a slightly darker pink- almost red. A white crib sits on the left hand corner of the room, which Puck had finally finished setting up today. There's a white dresser opposite of the crib and a comfortable dark red armchair that Rachel had found on sale a few days ago directly underneath the window. Tina is supposed to join him and Finn tomorrow to finish painting the dark red butterfly murals across all four walls that she'd started a few days ago. The only thing that is out of place is the twin mattress in the far back corner of the room.

It takes a few minutes for her to notice this. "You got rid of your bed?" she asks with narrowed eyes.

He rubs the back of his neck nervously, hoping that she doesn't take any of this the wrong way. He initially thought that after seeing all the nursery, Quinn would be more than happy to invite him to "move in with her", but after talking with Finn, he started to think that maybe she won't be so eager. And judging by the look on her face now, he's thinking that Finn may have been right.

"I sold it, yeah. I needed the money to help pay for the room, and it wasn't going to fit once I got all the new furniture in here anyways."

"So you're planning on sleeping on the mattress from now on?"

She stares at him, her face unreadable. That's not a good sign, so he decides to play it safe. "I thought I just could sleep in here until the baby comes and then I can sleep on the couch."

Quinn sighs. "Puck, you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch."

"I really don't mind," he says with a shrug. "The baby should have her own room."

"She's a baby, Puck. She's not going to know the difference."

"Okay,_ I _want her to have her own room. Quinn, do yourself a favor and stop worrying about me. When I made the decision to do this, I knew what I was giving up, and I don't care. It's not a big deal to me. I wanted this for our daughter, and I know you wanted it too. That's all that really matters."

Her face softens as she takes her hand in his. "I'm sorry I'm putting a downer on this all. I really do appreciate you doing this. It's pretty incredible, actually. I just don't feel right about you giving up your room."

"Well, there _is_ another option..."

"What?" She looks genuinely curious and he has to wonder how it's possible she hasn't put two and two together.

"I could...sleep in your room."

Her eyes narrow, her lips twisting into a frown. "Oh."

"Yeah, I kind of figured you'd react that way."

"It's not that I don't like the idea...I want to..."

He brushes a hand along her back. "Then why not?"

"I..." She shakes her head. "I don't even know. It's not like we're not already living together. And we're having a baby together. I think that's a bigger deal than sharing a room. I just...I feel like it's wrong somehow. Like if we sleep in the same bed, I'm going to be tempted to do...other things."

He almost smiles. "You're afraid it's going to lead to sex."

She sighs. "Maybe."

He stares at her for a moment before turning around and flopping down on the armchair. "Come here." She takes a seat on his lap and rests her head on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she says simply.

"Don't apologize. It's okay. If you're not ready to have sex, you're not ready. And if you feel like me sleeping in the same bed is going to pressure you into it, then I won't sleep there. Simple as that."

There's this hesitant look in her eyes, and for a moment he thinks she's going to tell him he's wrong, that she is more than ready to be with him again. But then she's crawling out of his arms, an apologetic look on her face, and he's left feeling a little embarrassed.

"I think that would be for the best," she says.

Puck forces a smile. "We'll figure out the bedroom situation later. We've still got some time."

Quinn just nods before saying she's got to start making dinner, leaving him to himself. He slumps down against the chair, disappointment hitting him straight in the chest. She was more than happy about his surprise, something he's grateful for, but her reaction to him moving into his room wasn't exactly his shining moment. He feels like she's holding back from him, that her reasons for not taking the next step aren't what they seem. He understands completely if she isn't ready to have sex again, but he's got the distinct feeling now that that's not really the issue. Whatever it may really be, though, he knows that he's got to be supportive. She'll let him know when she's ready, and until then, all he can do is wait.

**888**

As Christmas arrives, Quinn's left feeling a little preoccupied. It's her first Christmas without her family and although it feels a little nice to start making new traditions with Puck, it's still hard knowing that her family are off celebrating without her.

Puck is doing all that he can to make sure she enjoys the holiday to fullest, something that she truly does appreciate given the fact that Christmas isn't something he typically celebrates. His surprise a few days ago definitely did a good job distracting her from her family issues. The nursery is perfect. She's impressed out how long he managed to keep it from her, even if she did find out earlier than he intended.

But with the nursery came a new issue. She knows she's probably blowing this all out of proportion, but she feels bad about turning down his proposition to move into her room. The amount of work he put into the nursery amazes her and it seems like a slap in the face to make him pay for all that work by forcing him to sleep on the couch.

Truthfully, she would very much like for him to move into her room. Every night she goes to bed wishing he were lying next to her, but she doesn't give in to temptation, because she knows what will happen if she does. It's only a matter of time before they sleep together again. She gave Puck the impression she wasn't ready, and while that might not be false, it's still not the entire truth. She wants to sleep with him. _Badly_. It actually kind of scares her how much she wants it. But the last time she gave into the desire her life literally went to hell. She knows the situation is entirely different now, but the fear still remains. What if she gives herself like that to him and he ends up leaving again? The thought, no matter how unrealistic it may be, horrifies her.

"Are you okay, Quinn?"

Quinn looks over at Rachel and musters up a smile. The two are currently cleaning up the kitchen after their Christmas dinner, while Puck and Finn talk in the living room. "I'm fine."

"You look like you've got something on your mind."

"It's nothing, really."

"Come on, Quinn, you know you can talk to me." Rachel glances back at the boys, who are lost in conversation about their next band gig. "Is it about your parents?"

Quinn holds back a sigh. "Why would you think that?"

"Because when you're pensive like this it's normally one of two things - Puck or your parents. And since today is Christmas and all, it wouldn't be surprising if you were a little sad."

"I'm not sad," Quinn says, and it's the truth. "Today has actually been really nice. I mean, yeah, it's weird not being with my family, but getting to be with the people I love most in this world kind of makes up for it."

"That's sweet, Quinn, but I still think something is up. And if it isn't your parents, then it has to be Puck."

"Rachel, I told you I was fine. I don't know why you can't accept that."

But Rachel persists, as she always does. "Is everything okay with you two? You're not having problems, are you? Because if you are, I worked with this guy in community theater a few years back who is a relationship counselor and he's supposed to be really great and-"

"Puck and I are great," Quinn says before Rachel can ramble any longer. And now for a change of subject. "So what did you think of the nursery?"

Understanding dawns on Rachel's face and Quinn suddenly regrets her topic of choice. "The nursery! So _that's _what this is about!"

Quinn grits her teeth and nods towards the living room. "Keep your voice down. We're not exactly by ourselves."

"You're right. Come on." Rachel grabs her by the wrist and drags her past Puck and Finn. "We're going to look at the nursery again," Rachel says to the boys.

Once they're behind closed doors, Rachel all but orders Quinn to sit down and then she starts up again.

"I know what's going on," Rachel says. "Puck gave up his room for the baby and you turned down his suggestion for him to move into your room."

"How in the world did you figure that out?"

"Finn told me that Puck was going to bring it up when he showed you the nursery."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Yes, well, Finn thought that you would turn him down, for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which having to do with your subconscious fear of commitment. He was obviously right."

"Wait, _what_? I'm not afraid of commitment!"

"Oh yeah? Then please explain your four year no dating rule."

"How could I commit if I wasn't dating!"

Rachel smiles triumphantly. "_Exactly_."

Quinn shakes her head adamantly. "No. You have no idea what you're talking about. I do _not _have a fear of commitment."

Rachel's face softens as she moves to sit down on Puck's mattress. "I know you don't want to hear this, Quinn, but it's time you face the truth. You're scared of forming a close relationship with a guy. And it makes sense when you think about it. You found out your dad was cheating on your mom when you were in middle school, which pretty much ruined the perfect image of marriage and family your parents had painted for you. And then in high school you had a boyfriend cheat on you."

"I never liked him anyway," she says. The guy had been a complete tool and she'd really only dated him to get herself higher on the school totem pole.

"That doesn't change the fact that it still hurt like hell when it happened. It wasn't long after that that you implemented your no dating rule. And why did you do that?"

"Because dating sucks?"

"No, you did it because if you didn't date, you couldn't fall in love, which means you couldn't get hurt."

"Okay, so let's say you're right, that I'm really just a commitaphobe. It doesn't matter anymore, because in case you haven't forgotten, I'm in a relationship with Puck. We're living together and we're having a baby. That's about as committed as you can get without actually being married."

Rachel nods, as if Quinn's finally getting the point. "When Puck came into your life, he started to erase that fear. For the first time in pretty much ever, you opened yourself up to a guy. But then he ended up leaving, leaving you heartbroken, and you started closing yourself off again."

"Yes, but why does that matter _now_, when we've moved past all that?"

"It matters because even though you're together now, you're still scared of getting hurt again. Him moving into your room means sex, am I right?"

Quinn feels a little awkward answering that question, which is a bit ironic considering she's sitting here eight months pregnant. "I guess..."

"And sex means opening yourself up to him in the most intimate way. It's a huge step, and it makes sense that you'd be scared to take it."

It's at this point that Quinn finds she has no retort. Because she's accepting that Rachel is right. She's scared. She always has been. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but it's the truth.

"Can I ask you something personal?"

Quinn gives a wary smile. "You always do."

Rachel grins before continuing, "Do you want to sleep with him?"

"I...really do." She feels a bit strange admitting it aloud.

"Then go for it." Rachel stands up and walks back to Quinn. "This is the last step to overcoming your fear, Quinn. You need to let him all the way in. I promise that if you do, you won't regret it."

While Quinn isn't so sure she'll have no regrets- there's always the risk of getting hurt when you take a risk - she knows that Rachel is right. She's never going to be truly happy with Puck unless she opens herself up to him completely.

Quinn smiles softly up at her. "When did you become the queen of relationship advice?"

Rachel chuckles. "Well, I got a lot of help from Finn. He's surprisingly observant." Rachel pats Quinn's shoulder affectionately. "Now that we've got that all settled, what do you say we go join our men? I'm pretty sure they're both dying to get a start on dessert..."

**888**

A few hours later, after Finn and Rachel have left, she and Puck lounge together on the couch, simply enjoying each other's company.

A small smile on her face, Quinn watches as Puck lifts up her shirt and presses a warm hand on the bare skin of her swollen stomach. He looks captivated as he moves his hand around, waiting for their baby to acknowledge his presence with a kick. It's not long before he gets one and his face lights up with wonder as a result. Puck has been able to feel the baby kick for nearly two months now, but it still seems as if it's the first time every time it happens. Quinn loves that about him - the enthusiasm he has to be a father, even though this situation was so unexpected, and the love he so clearly already feels for their unborn daughter. Quinn knows that Puck is destined to be an amazing father.

"Hi, baby," Puck says to her stomach. Quinn just chuckles; she's used to this by now. Puck's favorite past time is now talking to her belly. Actually, scratch that; talking to her belly is his _second _favorite past time - s_inging _to it is what he loves the most. "You okay in there?"

He leans his head down even further and places a soft kiss on her stomach, right where she felt the baby kick a few moments ago. His lips linger over the spot as he begins to sing a song he has sung many times before. Every now and then he'll stop mid-song and brush his lips against her stomach, before jumping right back again.

"_Oh, Beth what can I do,_" he softly sings, and it's that's when it hits Quinn. She doesn't know why she hadn't thought of it before now.

"Beth," she says.

Puck stops singing and looks back up at her, a confused expression on his face. "Huh?"

"We should name her Beth."

"Beth," he murmurs, and his confused look morphs into one of understanding. "It's my favorite song."

"I kind of figured," Quinn says, "since you sing it to her almost every day."

"You really like it?"

"I do." She kisses the top of his head. "I think it's perfect, actually."

He grins up at her and she can tell her choice in name means the world to him. Their eyes lock as she runs her hand slowly over his shaved head. He pulls himself back to her level, his hands moving to caress her face, and he wears the most adorable smile as he leans in to kiss her. The taste of his lips brings back the desire she feels every time he touches her, but this time she doesn't fight back. All she wants is to be with him.

She pulls away just slightly. "I want you to move into my room."

This gets a pause out of him. His hopeful eyes bear into hers. "Really?"

"Yes."

His lips twist into a crooked smile that she finds incredibly adorable. "What changed your mind?"

"I'm just...ready."

"When should I move in?"

"How about now?"

"Now?"

"Yes." She finds herself climbing into his lap. "I'm ready." She inches her face towards his. "Right." She kisses his jaw, then his neck. "Now."

He gets the picture, and a few seconds later he's carrying her into her - _their _- room, and in that moment she lets go of the fear she didn't even know she had.

And Rachel's right - she doesn't regret it at all.

**888**

Afterwards, Puck is left feeling a little stunned. He wasn't really expecting Quinn to be ready so soon. But he's not complaining. Not at all. It felt so perfect being with her again. And he has to admit, being celibate for six months made it that much more amazing.

Now, as Puck wraps his arms around Quinn and pulls her body close to him, he finds himself only capable of a few words. "That was incredible."

Quinn smiles sleepily as she rests her cheek on his chest. "Much better than last time."

"What? You didn't like last time?"

"It was nice, but it was my first time and I didn't really know what I was doing."

Puck grins as he kisses her forehead. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

Quinn shakes her head as she moves to rest on her back. "Oh, I think I do. You're just didn't notice because you were drunk."

"I don't think so..." He moves a hand to her stomach. "I remember that night _very _clearly and I don't remember being disappointed."

"That's because you're easy to please."

He laughs. "Shut up, Fabray."

They lapse into a comfortable silence, both worn out from their late night activities. Quinn continues to shift around, obviously uncomfortable, and that's when it hits him.

"This is okay, right? We didn't hurt the baby, did we?"

"Don't worry, Puck. The baby is fine. I looked it up. Sex is typically okay up until the very end of pregnancy."

He grins. "You looked it up? You were obviously planning ahead, weren't you?"

She blushes slightly. "I wasn't looking...I came across it..."

"Just admit it. You wanted to sleep with me."

"Okay, fine, I did. For awhile now."

"Then why did it take you so long?"

"Because..." She's on her side again, facing him. "I was scared of what it would mean."

"Were you scared that I'd leave you again? Like last time?"

"Yeah, I was. And I was also just scared of letting you all the way in. I didn't realize it until today, but I've kind of been harboring a fear of commitment over the years."

"That's...not surprising."

"What? Why does everyone think that?"

He smiles softly as he runs his hands through her hair. "Come on, Quinn, it took us forever to get together."

"That's because you made some stupid decisions."

"True. But it's also because you were scared as hell to let us get too close."

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"Okay! Fine, you're right. I was scared. I already admitted it."

"Yeah, you did." He caresses her cheek gently. "And I'm proud of you. You've come a long way since I've first met you, Quinn."

"You've come a long way too."

He grins. "I like to think so."

She chuckles lightly, nuzzling her face into his neck. "I'm so tired."

"What? You don't want another go?"

He's expecting her to say no, but then she's looking up at him with that playful glint in her eye, and he's pleasantly surprised by her response. "Now that you mention it, I'm not _that _tired."

She slides up from the bed, straddling him, and he lets out a moan of pleasure as she places slow, seductive kisses along his neck. He is about to turn her over, more than ready to get this thing started, when the unmistakable sound of knocking fills the room.

Puck groans. "Seriously? It's almost midnight!"

Quinn sighs as she starts to stand up. "Finn and Rachel must have forgotten something."

"I've got it, babe," he says, throwing on his boxers. "You just stay right there. I'll be right back."

As he makes his way to the front door, he finds his discarded shirt from earlier and decides to put it on. He doesn't need an awkward moment with Rachel to ruin the mood. He flings the door open, wanting to get this over with as fast as he can, but he doesn't find Finn or Rachel. Instead an older blond woman stands there, looking both exhausted and confused.

"Um..." the woman says. "Quinn Fabray lives here, right?"

"Yeah..." He narrows his eyes and asks the question he has the strong feeling he already knows the answer to. "Who are you?"

The woman gives him a clearly forced smile. "I'm Judy Fabray. Quinn's mother."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Tada! Judy Fabray is in the building. For whatever reason, I have a soft spot for Quinn's mother, so I thought it was time to bring her into the story and maybe even give her a little redemption.**

**So the next update…I can't make any promises on a timely one, because I'd probably end up breaking it. Instead I'll just say thanks for your patience. Life's kind of crazy right now and school is pretty much kicking my butt. Also, if all goes according to plan, the next chapter has a lot of big stuff going on in it, which means I may need some extra time to write it. Hopefully not, though, because I'd like to get it up sooner rather than later.**

**Oh, and enjoy the new episode of Glee tomorrow! I know we've got some Quick scenes ahead of us, but we've also got some **_**other**_** stuff to deal with, so hopefully we won't be too disappointed in the end. I've still got a lot of hope for Quick this season, though. We've just got to be patient. **

**Once again, thanks for reading and please remember to leave a review!**


	14. Forgiven

**A/N: Okay, the wait for this was ridiculous. I'm so sorry about that! A book that I've been waiting three years for finally came out, so most of my free time was devoted to reading it, and it was extremely long, and when I actually did finish it I needed some time to digest it all... So needless to say until recently I didn't have a lot of time to write. But now I'm back into gear (especially after those lovely Quick scenes we _finally _got on the show) and I'm ready to starting winding this story down. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'm not a hundred percent happy with it, but hopefully you'll all feel differently.**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by Relient K.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: <em>Forgiven<em>**

_Cause we're all guilty of the same things_  
><em>We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through<em>  
><em>And I know that I have been forgiven<em>  
><em>And I just hope you can forgive me too<em>

Quinn's eyes flutter closed as she settles back into bed, and content smile covers her lips as she feels herself start to drift off. She didn't realize until now how tired she really was. She hopes Puck will come back soon, because as exhausted as she is, she isn't so sure she wants to fall asleep just yet. She isn't ready for this night to end.

"Quinn."

Her eyes pop open at the sound of his voice. "Took you long enough," she mumbles. "What did Rachel forget this time?"

Her question is met with silence. As she lazily pulls herself into a sitting position, she notices the strange look on his face.

"You should probably get dressed," he whispers.

"What? Is something wrong? And why are you whispering?"

He sits next to her and takes her hand in his. "Because you've got a visitor out in the living room."

She stares at him anxiously. A visitor? At midnight? That doesn't sound very good to her. "Who?"

"Your mom."

That was perhaps the last person on earth she expected him to say - other than her father, of course. "My…my mom?"

"Yeah." He slowly runs a hand along her back. "She said she's sorry for showing up so late, but she really wants to see you."

Quinn doesn't know what to say to that. Over two months ago her parents had cut all ties with her, and now her mother wants to see her? It's confusing and frustrating and somehow completely wonderful all at once. She honestly thought the chances of seeing her mother again were slim to none.

Without thinking, Quinn slips out of Puck's grasp and quickly pulls on a t-shirt and sweatpants. Even though she's angry with her mother, she can't help but be eager to see her again. This is her mother, after all.

"Do you want me with you?" Puck asks.

"No," she says. "I need to do this alone."

Quinn finds her mother sitting on the couch with her back to Quinn. She takes a brief moment to calm herself down before walking into the living room.

"Mom." Her voice is stiff, something that she can't control. No matter how good it feels to see her again, she can't forget the fact that her mother abandoned her just yet.

Judy stares up at Quinn for a moment, looking at a loss for words. Her mother's eyes are filled with tears that quickly brim over.

"Oh, Quinnie." Judy stands and takes a hesitant step towards Quinn. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here."

And that's all Quinn needs to hear before letting her mother envelope her into her arms. The tears fall freely on both sides and for once, Quinn doesn't let herself care. She's just glad to be with her mother again. They hug for quite some time, both needing the time to compose themselves. After the tears have come under control, they both pull away.

"I'm so sorry," her mother says once more.

Quinn smiles weakly as she wipes at her damp face. "It's okay."

"Oh, Quinn, you and I both know that it's not."

"Yeah, well...you're here now, right?"

"Yes, I am, but...let's sit down, okay? You look about ready to fall over, and that can't be good for the baby."

"I'm fine," Quinn insists, but she sits down anyway, knowing it's futile to argue with her mother.

"I owe you an explanation for my behavior."

Quinn can't disagree with her there. "Okay."

Judy looks at her seriously. "I need you to know that I never meant to abandon you. When you told us you were pregnant, I'll admit I was disappointed, but cutting you off like that was not something I ever would have wanted. Your father, though...well, you remember how he deals with these sorts of things."

Quinn nods knowingly. "He tries to pretend it never happened."

"Yes, which is why he cut you off. But I didn't agree with it, not for a second. I tried to talk him out of it, but he would hear a word. At that point, I realized that getting him to change his mind was useless, so I decided to wait it out and hope that after he was given some time to digest the news he would realize how irrational he was being."

"Did he?"

Judy smiles sadly. "No. And today I decided I couldn't wait any longer for him to change his mind. Spending Christmas without you was the last straw. So I found the first flight out here and I left."

"Did you tell him that you were coming here?"

"Yes. He wasn't happy, but I couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't just this situation with you, Quinn. There was so much more going on in our life. Our marriage has been fragile ever since..."

"Yeah, I know," Quinn says quickly. She's not interested in bringing up her father's affair.

"He hasn't stopped, you know."

"What?"

"The affair. He did for awhile, but he started seeing her again."

Quinn's throat tightens as the anger swells within her. Right now, she hates her father with every fiber of her being.

"That's why I'm divorcing him."

Quinn eyes snap up at her in surprise. "Really?"

"It's not official yet, but I called my attorney on the way here and I'm going to see her when I get back to get things started. It's time that I finally take a stand for my own life and it seems now that getting a divorce is the only way that can happen."

Most kids would be horrified to learn their parents are getting a divorce. Quinn, on the other hand, just feels relieved.

"I'm glad you're doing this, Mom," Quinn says. "After all he's put you through, you deserve to be happy."

"I never wanted it to end this way, but I've come to realize it's for the best. I'm glad to see you feel the same. It would be much harder for me if you didn't."

"He's my father and I love him because of that." It's the truth, no matter how much she despises him right now. "But the way he treats you - the way he treats _all _of us - it's not right, and it's time that he understood that."

Judy looks relieved at her words, and Quinn is glad. The last thing her mother should feel now is guilt.

"I'm thinking of staying in New York for a few weeks," Judy says. "I need a little time to let things settle down before I go back and face all the drama."

"You can stay here," Quinn offers, although it's mostly out of politeness. As glad as she is to have her mother back, she's not sure she could stand two weeks cramped inside this little apartment with her. Luckily, her mother appears to feel the same.

"Thank you, dear, but I'll just stay at a hotel." Her lips twist into a spiteful grin. "I've still got your father's credit card, after all."

Quinn's smile matches her mother's. "In that case, I'm sure the Ritz-Carlton has some vacancies. But I think you should stay here tonight. It's late enough as it is."

"That wouldn't be so bad," Judy says. "This couch seems comfortable enough."

"I'll get you some blankets." Quinn stands up, but finds herself stopping short as she remembers something. "How exactly did you find me? Dad took me off the phone plan, and you didn't have my new number, and I obviously moved."

"It took a little research," Judy admits. "I assumed you moved, as that apartment you were living in was most likely too much for you to afford on your own. So I called Carol Hudson on the way here and she gave me Finn's number. I didn't get a hold of him until I landed here just over an hour ago. He gave me all the information I needed."

Quinn just nods before go to retrieve the blankets from her room. She wonders if Finn would have called to warn her about this if it hadn't been so late. It probably doesn't matter anyway. She still would have accepted her mother's return the same as she had.

Puck is wide awake and glancing through one of her magazines when she enters her room. The minute the door clicks closed, he stands up and makes his way over to her.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine." She rolls her eyes at his disbelieving look. "_Really_, Puck. We talked and...things are good."

Puck sighs in relief. "That's great, Quinn."

"Yes, it is. Now," she says, opening her closet and pulling out a thick woolen blanket that she'd brought from home when she first moved here, "my mom is staying here tonight, so _you_ need to go back to your room."

His face twists up in displeasure. "Why?"

"You know why. My mom might not be as bad as my dad, but that doesn't mean she'll approve of you and I sharing a room."

He doesn't look at all happy about this, but luckily he seems to understand enough to not put up a fight. "Fine, but only tonight."

She nods. "Only tonight," she agrees.

When Quinn returns to the living room, her mother is still sitting quietly on the couch.

"Thank you, dear," Judy says as she takes the blankets from Quinn.

"No problem." Quinn turns to leave, but not before glancing back one last time at her mother. "Good night, Mom."

Judy smiles gently back at her. "Goodnight, Quinn."

**888**

The next morning, Puck wakes up far too early for his liking. It's barely nine, but he can't seem to fall back asleep, a fact that annoys him to no end considering he doesn't have to work today. So he pushes himself up off his mattress, pulls on a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and goes to make himself some breakfast.

For a brief second, Puck is confused when he find a blond sitting at the kitchen table that isn't Quinn, but then he quickly remembers the events of last night, and the confusion turns to an air of awkwardness. He debates on just going back to his room and waiting for Quinn to wake up and help break the ice between them, but decides against it. He only talked briefly with Quinn's mom last night, so Judy really didn't know much about him besides the fact that he was the one who got her daughter pregnant - and that's not exactly a great first impression. So if he wants Judy to like him, he's going to have to make an honest effort, and he doesn't want to have to depend on Quinn to do that.

Gathering his courage, Puck throws on a big smile as he walks over to the coffee pot, which it seems Quinn's mother had taken the liberty of filling.

"Morning, Mrs. Fabray." It feels a little juvenile calling her this, but he doesn't really think it would be appropriate for him to call her by anything else at the moment.

Judy smiles warmly over at him. "Good morning, Puck," she says. "And you can call me Judy."

"Judy, it is."

He pours himself a cup of coffee, finding himself relaxing slightly at her cheerful demeanor. Truthfully, he expected that Quinn's mother wouldn't be too fond of him, and he wouldn't blame her if she was, but right now she doesn't seem at all bothered by him. It's both encouraging and nerve-wracking at the same time.

For a few moments, they both sit in silence, Puck stirring his coffee with deliberate slowness, while Judy sips carefully at her own cup. Soon enough, her firm gaze lands on him, and the nerves from earlier rear up once more.

"So," Judy begins, "since Quinn and I obviously haven't been in contact recently, I'm afraid I don't know much about you. You two are...together?"

She sounds friendly enough, but underneath it all there's a disapproving tone in her voice. It's not surprising, given all that he knows about Quinn's parents, but it's discouraging nonetheless.

"Yes," he answers simply.

"And you live here?"

The disapproving tone is more than obvious now. He shifts in his chair uncomfortably. "Yes, I do."

Judy's tight smile twists suddenly into a frown. "I see."

Silence hits them once more. He tries hard to think of something to say, anything to win her approval, but he's starting to think that it's going to take a _lot _more than sharing morning coffee together for Quinn's mom to like him. He doesn't have to think long, though, because Judy is looking at him again, and to his relief, her frown has transformed into more of a resigned smile.

"This is not the life I imagined my daughter would lead," she says slowly. "But if I wish to be a part of her life, I will gladly accept it."

"She's not a bad person," Puck says, because he can't let her mother think that this situation is something that Quinn is one hundred percent okay with. "This whole thing between me and her, and the baby...it's all _really _complicated. Trust me. I don't know how much you've talked to her about it -"

"We've barely scratched the surface, I imagine," Judy cuts in softly.

"You should talk to her," Puck continues. "There's a lot to it, and I think if you knew what happened, you would maybe cut her a little slack."

"I didn't come here to cut her slack, Puck. When I made the decision to make the trip here, I knew that I wasn't going to approve of all aspects of the life Quinn has chosen to lead, and I accepted that. I came here because I love her, and because I want to be a part of her life. Nothing she could say is going to change that."

Feeling more at ease with conversation now, Puck leans back in his chair and offers Judy a sincere smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

"I feel I have to ask, though...do you have any intentions of marrying her?"

The question shouldn't really come as a surprise, especially since his own mother has asked him this as well, but he still can't help but tense up at her words. The truth is he _does _intend to marry her. He just doesn't know when it's going to happen.

"We haven't been together for very long," Puck begins slowly, and he can tell by the way Judy's eyes narrow that she doesn't like where this is headed, so he decides to clear this up as fast as possible. "But I want to marry her someday."

Judy cocks an eyebrow. "_Someday_?"

"Yeah..." He clears his throat, feeling incredibly uncomfortable once more. "You know...maybe within the next couple of years."

This doesn't seem to appease Judy at all. "I don't understand your reasoning. If you _know _you want to marry her, why do you feel you have to wait so long? Marriage is important to Quinn. It's important to our whole family."

"It's important to me too."

And he's surprised to realize he really means that. For the longest time, marriage was a sensitive topic for him. After witnessing so many divorces, it was kind of hard to see the positive side of it. But then Quinn came along and changed everything, and the possibility of marriage doesn't seem so daunting anymore. In fact, it actually seems kind of appealing.

"Then why wait?" Judy presses.

He doesn't have an answer to that, because at this point he doesn't have a clue why they should wait. He loves her - can't ever imagine _not _loving her - and they're having a baby together, something that many would consider an even bigger step than marriage. So why _should _they wait?

His lips twist into a small smile as he looks over at Judy. "You're right."

Judy grins at this. "Of course I am."

It's at this moment that Quinn emerges from her bedroom. Puck hopes she didn't catch the end of their conversation, because now that he's got this idea of marrying her in his head, he wants to make sure she's surprised when he actually proposes. She doesn't seem to have heard anything, though, as she greets them both with an almost shy smile.

"Morning," she says as she takes a seat next to Puck.

"Good morning, dear," her mother says before standing up. "Let me get you some coffee. I made decaf."

Once her mother's back is turned, Quinn places a soft kiss on his lips. "Everything okay out here? My mom hasn't threatened to kill you?"

"No," he says, grinning as he nuzzles his nose against hers, "everything is great."

**888**

Later that day, they're in the kitchen, just Quinn and her mother, and they're doing what they both love best. Baking is the one of the few things they have in common, so Quinn was more than relieved when her mother mentioned the new scone recipe she came up with for Christmas this year. Baking is a bonding experience for them both, and after the trials of the last few months, it's something the two of them sorely need.

"I had a nice talk with Puck this morning," Judy mentions as she hands Quinn a bag of flour.

Quinn can't help but tense a little at the mention of her boyfriend. She desperately hopes her mother at least somewhat approves of him, because if she doesn't, they're going to have a whole other issue on their hands.

She kneads the dough slowly and hopes that this conversation will go as smooth as the one from last night. They hadn't actually talked much since then. After breakfast, Judy had gone off to check into a hotel with the promise of returning later that afternoon. Quinn and Puck only had a short while to themselves, most of which was spent discussing Quinn's mother, before Puck got a call from Finn announcing they'd they had booked themselves another gig - and this one was extra important because it was a paying one. It wasn't for another two weeks, but Finn all but demanded that Puck to come over so they could start preparing.

So when Judy had arrived later that day, Quinn was alone. Spending one-on-one time with her mother had been a bit awkward at first. Quinn didn't have much of a desire to talk anymore about what had occurred between them and thankfully Judy didn't seem to want to either. It didn't take long before her mother mentioned the recipe, and Quinn saw it as the perfect way to escape the awkwardness.

"Yeah," Quinn says, "you two seemed in pretty deep conversation when I walked in this morning."

"He seems like a nice boy," Judy says with a thoughtful smile. "Although I must say, he's not at all the type of man I imagined you with."

Quinn frowns as she sets the dough off to the side. "Mom, I know that you probably don't think much of him because of...well," she simply points to her stomach, "but Puck is a really great guy."

"I'm not saying he isn't," Judy says calmly. "I'm just saying he seems different than the other boys you've dated."

"He is," Quinn murmurs. "I love him. I'm happy with him...happier than I've ever been."

"I'm glad. I want you to be happy, Quinn. That's all a mother could want for her child."

Quinn's gaze meets her mother's, and she smiles. "Thanks, Mom."

"I am a bit curious about how this all happened, though, because if I recall correctly, this time last year you were still following that no dating rule of yours."

"Things changed," Quinn says with a grin. _"Really_ fast."

And so she tells her mother the story of her and Puck as best she can, and with each word she waits in impending doom for her mother's repulsion at her actions to finally make an appearance. But it never does. In fact, when Quinn finally finishes, her mother is looking at her with gentle, understanding eyes.

"You're a good girl, Quinn," she says quietly.

Quinn's eyes widen at such an unexpected response. "I...I wouldn't say that."

Judy takes a step towards her, putting a warm hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Well, I would. You're not perfect, Quinn, and you should know that I never expected you to be. Your father and I have both made our fair share of mistakes, and neither of us are in the position to judge you." Judy's face twists up bitterly. "Your father just can't seem to grasp that."

At the mention of her father, Quinn can't help but ask, "Do you think he'll ever get over this?"

"I really don't know," Judy says with a sigh. "I think your father has to acknowledge his own mistakes before he'll be prepared to accept yours."

"Which will probably never happen," Quinn scoffs. "And to be honest, I'm not sure I want it to. Thinking of all that he's done to you, to me, and to our whole family..." Quinn shakes her head. "He disgusts me, Mom. He really does."

"I can't say I don't feel the same." Her mother demeanor shifts suddenly into a playful one. "And that's why I think we should put your father's credit card to good use and you go on a shopping spree while I'm here."

Quinn chuckles. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

The conversation drifts off to more trivial territory after this, but as the two continue baking, Quinn can't help but feel like this is a whole new beginning for the two of them. And it feels amazing.

After awhile, Judy turns serious once more. "Quinn?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you...For forgiving me, and for letting me back into your life."

Smiling softly Quinn meets her mother's eyes. "Thanks for coming back."

* * *

><p><strong>I actually intended for this chapter to be much longer, but I ended up deciding to split it into two separate chapters, because this part (which was mostly focused on Quinn and her mom) didn't really mesh in well with the next one (which is about <em>whole <em>lot more). Also, if I didn't split it, you guys would be waiting a whole lot longer for this chapter, and I didn't want that. But the good news is that because I didn't decide to split the chapters until very recently, I've already got some of the next chapter written, which means that hopefully ****you won't have to wait so long for the next one.**

**That being said, thanks for reading and please leave a review if you can!**


	15. First Day of My Life

**A/N: The wait wasn't as long as last time, was it? Of course it wasn't a very short wait, either… But hopefully this chapter will make up for it.**

**Chapter title and lyrics are from a song by Bright Eyes.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<em>: First Day of My Life<em>**

_This is the first day of my life__  
><em>_I swear I was born right in the doorway__  
><em>_I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed__  
><em>_They're spreading blankets on the beach_

The New Year starts off great for Quinn. Now that her mother is back in her life, she honestly feels content with her life. It's strange to think how different her life had been just one year ago. She thought then that she was happy, but she knew now that she wasn't even close.

And then there was the fact that this time last year, she had only just met Puck. As she sits on their couch on this cold January night, she can't help but smile as she thinks of the beginning of their relationship. He had the uncanny ability both annoy her death and charm her socks off at the same time (now that she thinks about, maybe not _that _much about that aspect of their relationship has changed). One thing is for certain, though, this time last year she never, ever could have imagined that in a year's time she would be so happy.

"Whatcha doing, hot stuff?"

She rolls her eyes as the object of her thoughts strolls into the room. He's wearing a pair of sweatpants and an old white t-shirt as he carries his guitar case over by the front door.

"I've told you a million times, don't call me that." She eyes his outfit. "And shouldn't you be getting ready for your gig?"

"Sorry, darling." Grinning playfully, Puck wraps an arm around her as he flops down next to her on the couch. She nuzzles her head into his shoulder in response. "I've still got a few hours left until I've got to meet the others at the club," he explains, and then he looks down at her anxiously. "So you're okay with me going tonight?"

She raises an eyebrow as she tips her head up to look at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you know, you're getting pretty close to your due date..."

She had a feeling that was it. As her pregnancy draws to an end, Puck has been growing increasingly overprotective. She tolerates it most of the time, because she knows he means well, but sometimes she finds it more annoying than anything.

"I've still got over two weeks left. Nothing is going to happen."

Puck still looks torn. "I don't know..."

"_Puck_. Don't be stupid. I'll be fine. Go to that little show of yours and make us some money."

"Fine, I'll go. But if anything happens-"

"I'll call you. But nothing is going to happen."

"And now you've probably jinxed it," Puck says with a teasing grin.

"I haven't," she grumbles in annoyance, but she hides a smile as she moves her head back to his shoulder. He runs his fingers up and down her arm as they settle back into silence. She's glad that he has given up his argument. It would be stupid for him to miss a show just because there's a tiny chance she may go into labor.

"Your mom is coming over tonight?" he asks after awhile. He moves a hand to her stomach, rubbing it slow, soothing circles.

"Yeah." Quinn smiles softly as she places her hand on top of his, their fingers intertwining instinctively.

"You two are doing pretty good, right? Everything is back to normal?"

"I don't think we'll ever be back to normal, to be honest. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. We're getting to know each other again, and for the first time we're being hundred percent honest we each other. I think we're in a better place than we've ever been."

"That's good, Quinn." He tickles her neck with his thumb, smiling as he presses a kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you're happy."

She looks up at him. "You're happy too?" she asks.

"Ehh..." She nudges him in the ribs and he laughs. "Of course I'm happy. Do you even have to ask?"

"No, I just like hearing you say it."

"You're such a sap."

"Nothing wrong with that," she says with a small smile.

He grins as he kisses her forehead. "Nope, nothing at all."

**888**

"Big crowd," Artie notes as he and Puck wander into the club.

"Yeah..." Puck glances around the crowded room, where people are standing practically elbow to elbow. He knows the large volume of people has nothing to do with them; Finn mentioned that tonight was free margaritas until midnight and that attracted a large response from woman, which in turn triggered the attention of eager women-seeking men. Still, it's cool to think that they'll be playing in front of so many people, even if most of them will be focusing on their drinks. It's even cooler to think that they're actually getting paid.

"Do you think we should head backstage?" Artie asks.

"We've got over an hour before we go on, and Sam and Finn aren't even here yet. I say we chill out at the bar for a little bit. I could use a beer to loosen me up before we play."

"Only one drink, though," the ever prudent Artie insists. "You don't want to be _too _loose."

"Don't worry, bro, I wasn't planning on having any more than that."

As Puck rolls Artie through the crowd (a bigger challenge than they would have thought), Puck spies an opening at the bar that provides just enough room for he and Artie to squeeze in. He orders himself a drink and takes a seat on the stool in front of Artie.

"You sure you don't want one?" Puck asks as the bartender hands him his beer.

"You know I can't drink before we play."

"Yeah, you've got a low tolerance for alcohol," Puck says with a grin, his mind traveling back to junior year of high school, when he took Artie to his first party. Artie had only drunk two before he was completely out of it. It was pretty amusing back then, but Artie's parents hadn't thought much of Puck when he brought their trashed son home that night.

A big smile comes over his face as Puck takes a long sip of his drink. It's nice to get out like this. In his bachelor days, he went to clubs every weekend. Then Quinn came along and everything changed, and now he hasn't been to one of these places in months. He doesn't miss it all that much, but sitting here right now, drinking a beer with Artie like the old days, he has to admit that it feels pretty good to come back to a familiar place, even if it's just for one night.

Artie's hand nudges Puck's knee, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Puck."

"What?"

"There's some girl staring at you across the bar over there. Wait - she's coming over."

Puck holds back a smile as he turns to check out the woman Artie's talking about. Hitting on women isn't something he has done in awhile, and with Quinn in his life, he really has no desire to. Still, old habits are hard to break and he thinks some harmless flirting before he rejects her wouldn't be so bad.

Of course, then he gets a look at the girl and it's suddenly obvious why she's so interested in him.

"Noah Puckerman." Anna is standing in front of them, arms crossed as she stares at him with that familiar flirty smile of hers. Artie stares over at Puck in surprise. "Fancy meeting you here."

Puck throws on a half hearted smile. "Crazy coincidence. What are you doing here?"

"Free margaritas til midnight," she says simply.

"I mean in New York," Puck clarifies.

"Just visiting some friends for the weekend." She smiles down at Artie. "I'm Anna, by the way. Noah and I used to work together. That is before he randomly stopped showing up one day."

"I didn't just randomly leave," Puck says, unable to hide his annoyance. He likes Anna, but sometimes her imposing personality is just too much for him.

"All your mom told me was that you were going back to New York. That's pretty random to me, especially considering you and I had drinks a few days before and you didn't mention anything at all about going back."

Anna's happy demeanor has shifted into a more somber one, making it clear to him that she was hurt by his leaving. He's surprised at this, but he doesn't have much time to focus on it as he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket.

"Hold on," Puck says to Anna, before picking up his phone and holding it close to his ear so he can hear over the noise. "What's up?" Puck asks.

"We're here!" Finn's practically yelling over the line, and still Puck can barely hear him.

"Okay, we'll meet you backstage," Puck says. He hangs up and turns to Artie. "We've gotta go. Sam and Finn are waiting backstage."

"Backstage?" Anna asks. "You're playing here tonight?"

"Yeah," Puck says. "Listen, we'll talk later, okay?"

"Fine," she says with a shrug, but judging by her tone he doesn't think she's that interested in talking.

"What was up with that?" Artie asks when they've finally managed to push themselves through the throng of people and into the back hallway.

"She's just an old friend from work," Puck says dismissively.

"So she told me. But that wasn't what I was talking about. She looked kind of pissed, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess...She kind of had a thing for me. Maybe that was it."

"It must have hurt her a little when you left without saying goodbye, then."

He doesn't say anything to that, mostly because he never really thought about how he'd left things in Philadelphia. The following Monday after Quinn had told him about the baby, he only went to work to let his boss know he was leaving. Anna wasn't in yet, and truthfully he'd been glad. He wasn't interested in explaining his situation to her. He realizes now, though, that he should have at least said goodbye. After all, they had been friends - even if she did annoy him half of the time.

They arrive backstage a few seconds later, saving Puck from having to get into a deeper conversation with Artie about Anna. And from that point on, they're all so focused on getting ready to play that all thoughts of her are quickly tossed to the side.

**888**

With Puck being gone most of the night, Quinn is spending her Friday night relaxing at home with her mother. She's pretty tired, and as much as she has been enjoying spending time with her mother these past few weeks, there's only so much Judy she can take in a day. So, after she and her mother finish watching Judy's favorite Friday night show _(Dateline,_ of course), she tells her mother that she's going to bed.

"I suppose I should get going, then." Judy releases a long yawn as she stands up. "It's getting rather late, anyway."

The two say their goodbyes and then Quinn is all alone. She smiles. It isn't often she gets time to herself these days. When Puck isn't around, it seems someone else is there to take his place; this past week it's been her mother. But sometimes she just needs to be alone.

Contrary to what she told her mother, she isn't quite ready for bed. Instead she starts filling the bath tub. Her back has been killing her for the past few days now and it has steadily gotten worse as time went by.

She's grabbing for the bath salts, when she feels it. It hits her strong and hard, and it's a struggle for her to even stay standing. She places her hands against the wall, balancing herself out, and breathes through the contraction. A long, painful minute passes and then it's over.

She breathes a sigh of release before slipping down to rest against the edge of the bathtub.

And then she lets out a long string of curses.

After she calms down, she tries to think of the next step. For all she knows this could just be Braxton Hicks, which means doing anything would be pretty pointless. So she decides to wait it out. Even if this is the real deal, the doctor told her to wait to come to the hospital until the contractions were at least five minutes apart, so she still has plenty of time to figure things out.

A few minutes later, she feels practically normal, so she decides to go with her initial plan of a relaxing, late-night bubble path. It's just as she about to climb into the tub, when she realizes she's not nearly as dry as she should be.

"_Fuck_."

The next few minutes are a frustrating blur. She dries herself off, pulls her clothes back on, and reaches for the cell phone that rests on the bathroom counter. She takes a brief second to decide who she'll call before settling on the person she knows will be here the fastest.

"Quinn? Is everything okay?"

"Mom, uh...I think my water just broke."

There's a long silence on the end of the line, and for a moment Quinn wonders if her mother is even there. Then, finally, her mother replies, "What?"

"The baby is coming," Quinn says, gripping the sink for support as a contraction hits.

"Oh my…" For a few seconds, her mother is silent once more, but then something within her seems to click and she snaps into gear. "Right. I'm a few blocks from my hotel, but I'll just have the cab driver turn around and go back to your place. You go get your bags and I'll be there in a few minutes."

Quinn hangs up before treading carefully into her room to pack. She had over two weeks left until her due date and even though Puck had been pushing her to pack her bags in case the baby came early, she continued to put it off. Trust Puck to actually be right for once. And of course trust him to not actually be here when she went into labor.

After throwing some clothes into a suitcase (she really doesn't care what her hospital wardrobe looks like at this point), Quinn hears Judy knocking at the front door and goes to answer. Her mother looks a bit overwhelmed, not surprising given the circumstances.

"Ready?" her mother asks.

"Not really," Quinn says with a weak smile. "But I guess I kind of have to be."

Judy's face softens as she puts a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine, Quinn."

Quinn just nods slowly, knowing that she has no other choice but to believe her mother's words.

The two head down to the street, where the cab is waiting. The drive is spent mostly in silence, Judy glancing anxiously at Quinn every few seconds. Another contraction hits - this time about five minutes after the last one. Her mother's arm wraps around her, pulling her close, and Quinn has never been more thankful for her mother than she is in this moment.

"Okay?" Judy asks once it's over.

"Yeah," Quinn mutters.

Judy grabs her phone out of her purse and starts looking through her address book.

"What are you doing?" Quinn asks.

"I'm calling Puck," her mother replies.

"No, Mom. It's not even ten-thirty yet. His band doesn't go on for another half hour."

"Quinn, I highly doubt he's going to be worried about missing a show when he finds out you're in labor."

"It's a paying gig and we need the money. Just wait until midnight. He'll be done by then."

"Alright, but if things start happening before then, I'm calling him."

"Yeah…of course. You can call Rachel, though," she adds, knowing that her best friend would likely kill her if she didn't.

They arrive at the hospital a couple minutes later. It takes a few minutes to get checked in, and then she's in her own private room changing into a hospital gown. Turns out even though her water had broken, she wasn't as far into labor as they'd have thought. She was four centimeters dilated now and the doctor predicted it would be at least four hours before she reached ten.

A wide eyed Rachel arrives just as the doctor is leaving. She looks relieved as she rushes over to the bed. "Oh good, you haven't had the baby yet. I was worried I was going to be too late."

Quinn shares an amused look with her mother. "We called you a half hour ago, Rachel. Did you really expect much to happen during that time?"

"Well, you know on TV, it always seems to happen so fast. One minute the water breaks and the next they're in the back seat of a car pushing that baby out."

"This isn't TV, Rach," Quinn says, chuckling softly.

"I know." Rachel grins as she takes a seat on the edge of Quinn's bed. "But it would be kind of cool if it was, wouldn't it? So where is Puck? I thought for sure he would have beat me here."

Quinn's face twists up guiltily. "Oh, well...I..."

"Quinn told me not to call him," her mother cuts in. She pats Quinn's hand in a sign of support.

"What? Why?"

"I didn't want to pull him away from the show. It's just a couple of hours, at the most. The doctor said it's going to be much longer than that before the baby comes."

"I suppose I can understand that. The show must go on, I always say. But I'm not sure Puck will be so understanding."

"He doesn't have a right to complain when _I'm _the one who's going to push a human being through my you know where."

"True," Rachel says. "In that case, if he gets angry with you, he'll have me to answer to as well."

Quinn laughs quietly, thankful for her friend's support, but then another contraction hits and the laugh transforms into a rather dramatic groan. Her mother's hand slips into hers, while Rachel's slips into the other. Quinn breathes slowly as the doctor told her too, trying to ignore the pain, but it's nearly impossible at this point. After over a minute it finally ends and Quinn lets out an annoyed sigh as she relaxes back into the hospital bed.

It's going to be a _long _night.

**888**

By the time the show is over, Puck is more than ready to head home. It's not because he misses Quinn or anything (it's only been a few hours and, seriously, he's not _that _much of a wuss), but rather because there's a pissed off redhead sitting at the bar, and he's _not _in the mood to deal with her again tonight, even if she really does deserve an apology.

"I'm gonna get going," Puck says to Artie as they finish packing up all their instruments.

Artie is clearly disappointed as he looks up at him. "So you're going to avoid this Anna chick, aren't you? You're gonna ditch her _all _over again, except this time you're doing it intentionally. Way to rub it in her face, man."

"Oh, come on, when you put it like that you're making me look like the ultimate douchebag."

"Look, I know she might not be your favorite girl in the world, but you said that she was your friend at one point in time, and if that's true, you owe her an explanation at the very least."

"Yeah, but that's the thing. Our relationship was_...complicated,_ you know?"

A look of understanding dawns across his friend's face. "Complicated, meaning you slept together."

Puck nods. "I led her on before, and I don't want to do that again. And more than anything I don't want to screw anything up with Quinn. I mean, Quinn already knows about Anna, but she wasn't exactly thrilled, you know? And to bring it up again, especially now when we're so close to having a kid...it just doesn't seem like the best idea."

"I really wouldn't worry too much about Quinn. I think she's secure enough in your relationship to handle knowing that you had a brief conversation with an ex."

Artie's probably right. And it's not really that big of a deal, now that he really thinks about it. He'll be honest with Anna, give her some closure, and that will be that.

"Alright, I'll talk to her. But if this backfires, I'm blaming you."

Artie chuckles. "Fine by me."

He finds Anna sitting just where he left her a little over an hour ago. She looks lost in conversation with a couple other girls, no doubt the friends she's visiting. He's tempted to just leave her there, with the excuse of not wanting to interrupt, but he's pretty sure Artie would give him a hard time with that and decides to just go for it.

"Hey, Anna," Puck says, feeling a bit awkward as he breaks into their conversation. Knowing looks cross her friends' faces as they turn to look at him, making it clear that Anna has obviously told her friends about him. And now he feels even more awkward. "Can we talk?"

She stares at him with a blank expression and for a moment he thinks she's going to turn him down. He doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But then she nods, and he finds himself leading her over towards an empty booth in the back where they can talk without her nosy friends looking on.

""I want to apologize for how I left things," he says as they both sit down.

She cocks an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah, I do. I know our relationship was kind of...weird." She grins at this. "But we _were _friends, and because of that I at the very least should have said goodbye before I left."

"I wholeheartedly agree," she says in that smug way of hers, and he's surprisingly glad to see her acting more like herself.

"Well, good. Now that that's settled." He gives her a big smile as he stands to leave, but she's pulling him back down again, and he finds himself groaning inwardly.

"You're not gonna get away _that _easily, Puckerman. I want to know why you left."

"Alright fine. But it's probably not gonna make you feel any better."

She shrugs. "I'll survive."

"There was a girl..."

"I kind of assumed," she says.

"Yeah, well...she's pregnant. And it's mine, obviously," he feels the need to add. "So I moved back to New York to be here for her."

To his surprise, Anna's lips twist into her trademark smirk. "I know."

He stares at her. "What?"

"We're still friends on Facebook, you know," she says simply. "It really wasn't hard to put two and two together."

"But if you knew what happened, why'd you ask?"

"Because I wanted to hear it from you. I thought you owed me that. I mean, it kind of sucked finding out about all this over the Internet."

He can't blame her there. "I'm sorry, Anna. I really am."

Her face softens. "It's okay. I just wish you'd told me about this girl from the get go. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so forward with you."

He chuckles. "It's kind of hard to imagine a version of you who _wouldn't _flirt with me."

"Hey, I'm not as big of a flirt as you seem to think. You're just..." She's doing a horrible job of proving her point as her eyes travel over him eagerly. "_Very_ attractive."

"You're doing it right now!"

"Sorry." She shrugs sheepishly. "It's just a habit."

"Alright, I'll let that one slide, because let's face it, I _am _very attractive."

"Not compared to that other guitarist in your band, though. I could just eat that guy up."

"_Sam?" _Puck scoffs. "He is _not _hotter than me."

"I disagree, and seeing how I'm a girl and you're not gay, my opinion clearly overrides yours. Do you think you can set me up with him?"

He laughs; now Anna's _really_ back to her old self. And he realizes that he actually kind of missed her. Not that he's going to tell her that.

"Sorry to disappoint, but he has a girlfriend."

In fact, Sam had recently rekindled an old relationship, and this time it wasn't with Santana, but rather Mercedes. The two are trying out a long distance relationship for now, and Sam's the happiest Puck's ever seen him.

"Really? You're not lying, are you? Because that would just be mean."

"I'm not lying," he says with a grin. "I wouldn't do that to you."

She starts to make her usual snarky response, but he's distracted by his buzzing phone. He pulls it out to find a text from Quinn: _Call me when the show is over. _

His eyes narrow. The text was sent only a few seconds ago, and it's past midnight now, meaning Quinn should be in bed. So if she's texting him _now _something has to be up. Trying to keep his cool, he slips slowly out of the booth and forces a smile.

"I've gotta get going," he says.

"Is everything okay?" Anna asks.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," he says, and he hopes he's right. "I've just got my girl waiting on me. But I'll keep in touch, alright? I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," she says with a grin. "And good luck with everything, Noah."

"Thanks," he says, giving her a soft smile before he turns to leave.

He makes his way outside, which is about the only place that's actually quiet enough to have a phone conversation, and dials Quinn's number. He's worried - at this point in her pregnancy, he can't really help it - and his worries only increase when it's Rachel who answers her phone.

"Hi, Noah," she says in her typical cheerful way. This calms him down a little; if something is really wrong Rachel would not sound so happy. "Is the show over?"

"Yeah. Is everything okay? Where's Quinn?"

"Oh, she's here, she's just...not really in the mood to talk."

And now he's back to worried. "Rachel, what the hell is going on?"

"Well, Quinn..." Rachel's voice trails off as Puck very clearly hears Quinn demand for the phone.

"Puck?"

"Quinn? What's going on? Why is Rachel with you?"

"I'm at the hospital."

"_What?"_

"Relax, Puck. I'm fine. I'm just, you know, in labor." She says the last part in an annoyed sort of way, which at least lets him know that she really must be okay.

And then it actually sinks in. She's at the hospital. She's in labor. She's having their baby. His eyes widen. He needs to be with her _now._

"I'm coming," Puck says, glancing around for a taxi.

"I would hope so." Quinn's voice is dripping with sarcasm.

Puck grounds his teeth together in frustration as a group of girls manage to grab the only free taxi around, but then Sam is walking out of the club, Artie and Finn close behind.

"Hold on, babe," he tells Quinn, and he goes to meet his band mates.

"What's going on?" Sam asks.

"I need to get to the hospital," Puck says. "Quinn's in labor."

Thankfully, Sam quickly takes the lead. "Come on. My van's only a block away. I'll drive you."

Puck sighs in relief. "Thanks, man." As the four of them hurry down the street, he focuses back on Quinn. "I'm on my way now. Sam's driving me to the hospital."

"Everything is fine, Puck. I'm still hours away from having this baby, so you don't need to rush."

"Are you crazy? Of course I'm gonna rush. I don't care how far away from having our kid you are. I wanna be there with you every step of the way."

There's a pause on the end of the line and for a second Puck wonders if she hung up, but then he hears her sigh into the phone. "I love you," she murmurs.

A goofy smile covers his lips at her unexpected response. "I love you too."

"I know." And now she's back to business. "Now get here soon. I need someone to deflect all this pain on."

**888**

"Where _is_ he?" Quinn says through clenched teeth. She grips Rachel's hand as she struggles through the latest contraction and glares up at her best friend. "It's been over an hour. He should be here by now."

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," Rachel says in a patient tone that drives Quinn crazy. "But right now you need to just _breeeeathe." _She stretches out the last word, like just saying it will make all the pain disappear, and Quinn squeezes her hand even tighter response. Rachel squeals at the sudden pain, her eyes widening as she stares down at Quinn in surprise.

"That was just a tiny sample of how I feel," Quinn says, and then the pain finally starts to die down. The contractions are coming in a lot closer now, but the doctor says she still has a ways to go. That thought makes her want to cry.

Rachel lets out a nervous laugh. "I'm just gonna take my hand back, okay?" Hiding a wince, Rachel flexes her fingers and moves to stand next to Quinn's mother - and far away from Quinn's death grip - at the edge of the bed.

Quinn sighs as she relaxes back into the bed. Now that the pain is gone, she can't help but feel bad about how she's treating Rachel, but she's finding that she tends to deal with pain by lashing out at someone else, and until Puck arrives, Rachel is the easiest target.

"Quinn," Judy says rationally, "Puck texted just a minute ago asking for the room number, which should mean he'll be here any second now."

As if on cue, the door swings open and a sweaty looking Puck enters the room. He rushes over to Quinn, grabbing her hand and pressing a loving kiss to her brow.

"Are you alright?" he asks. "Is it painful?"

"I'm in labor. Of course it's painful."

Her mother lets out a chuckle at this remark, catching Puck's attention.

"Thanks for bringing her here, Judy," he says.

"Of course." Judy stands up. "I'm going to head to the cafeteria and get some coffee. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I'll join you," Rachel says, giving Quinn a thumbs up before leaving with Quinn's mother.

Eyes narrowing, Quinn focuses on Puck. "Is there a reason you took so long getting here?"

Puck looks down at her anxiously. "I'm sorry, baby. Sam's shitty van decided tonight was the night for it to finally break down. We were half way here and I had to catch a cab the rest of the way."

She's not really that angry with him, but it's fun to make him squirm. "It's okay," she says with a shrug. "I'm not actually that far into this anyway."

"Really?" He looks disappointed. "How much longer then?"

"It's probably gonna be awhile."

Puck takes a seat in the empty chair next to Quinn's bed, his hand remaining firmly in hers. Something seems to dawn on him as his eyes narrow thoughtfully. "You look like you've been here for awhile."

"You took your time getting here," she reminds him.

"But when you called, you said you were already at the hospital, which means that this is not exactly a new development."

Quinn sighs in annoyance. Puck's probably going to be angry with her for waiting so long to call him, and she's not really in the mood to argue with him.

"My water broke a few hours ago," she explains hurriedly. "I waited to contact you until after I knew the show was over, because I didn't want you to miss the show."

Puck doesn't look pleased, but thankfully he doesn't press the issue too hard. "I wouldn't have minded missing it," he says grudgingly.

"Well, I'm sure the others would have, and it's not like you were missing anything here."

Puck looks at her pointedly as he leans back into the chair. "I told you something like this was gonna happen."

"Well, forgive me for not believing you. You're very rarely right about things."

Puck lets out a wry laugh, but then he seems to tense up. She looks at him curiously.

"Is something wrong?"

"I saw Anna tonight," he says quickly.

"Anna? As in your _work _friend, Anna?"

"Yeah."

"And how did that go?"

"Turns out she was kind of pissed at me for leaving without so much as a goodbye. So I apologized, and we're good now, and...well, I guess that's it."

Quinn just grins at him. She feels like she should be bothered about this, but she just can't bring herself to care. It's not like she has anything to worry about anyway.

"Were you expecting me to be mad or something?"

"No," he says quickly. "I just wanted to tell you, cause we're together, and she's kind of an ex, and even though it wasn't a big deal, I thought you should know."

She chuckles lightly, stringing her hand through his. "Well, as long as she didn't throw herself at you, I think I'll be okay."

"I can't say she didn't _try,_" he says, smirking. "But who can really blame her, right?"

The next contraction comes at this very moment, and she grimaces in response. Puck straightens up as he notices her pain, his hand tightening protectively around hers.

"Contraction?" he asks.

She just nods, closing her eyes and taking slow, calming breathes (Rachel would be proud). "This sucks," she says as the contraction nears its end. "_You _suck."

He smiles tiredly, as if he has fully prepared himself for all the insults to come. "I know," he says. "It's all my fault, I did this to you, you're never having sex with me again, blah, blah, blah, blah."

Her eyes narrow into a playful glare. Now that the contraction is over, she can appreciate his humor. "I was saving those ones for later."

"Looks like you're gonna have to come up with something a little more creative."

"How about I'm gonna cut off your you know what when we get home."

He grins. "Sounds like you're just afraid to say balls."

She can't help but laugh at that, even though he might have a little bit of a point on that one. She can't help that her parents raised her to be a prude. There was even a time when she referred to the condom as the C-word.

The mood turns serious once more as Puck's face softens, his eyes piercing intently into hers. "This is really happening."

She gives his hand a soft squeeze. "It is."

"We're gonna be parents, probably in just a few hours."

"I hope to God in just a few hours," she says, chuckling.

"It's kind of crazy," he says, his lips twisting into a big smile. "But in a good way."

"A great way," she agrees.

His hand moves to her face, brushing away the falling blond strands from her over her eyes, before moving to caress her cheek. She places her hand on top of his, bringing it down to her lips and kissing the tips of his fingers. Nothing else is said, nothing else _needs _to be said.

Dr. Walker arrives a few minutes later to check on Quinn. She offers an epidural, which Quinn accepts without a second thought. There is no way she's going to be able to do this naturally, nor did she ever plan to. About an hour later, they give her the epidural, and then it's a waiting game. Judy says that she is going to head back to her hotel to get some sleep, but she'll be back early in the morning. Rachel does the same. Quinn takes the pain free time as an opportunity to sleep, while Puck sleeps in the cot a nurse brought for him.

She lays in the hospital bed, still reeling for the wonderful feeling of relief the epidural gave her, and closes her eyes. Sleep comes quickly, and with it comes the realization that if all goes according to plan, when she wakes up, her baby will be ready to be born.

**888**

It's almost eight o'clock in the morning, nearly ten hours after Quinn arrived, that things start moving again. Puck is woken by the sounds of the nurse moving around the room, murmuring quietly to both Quinn in the doctor. Not long after, the light is turned on and his eyes pop open. He sits up in the cot, his eyes adjusting the bright florescent lights.

He looks over at Quinn, who is grimacing slightly as the doctor examines her. He moves to her side, slipping his hand into hers. Quinn looks over at him, a sleepy smile on her face, and the two silently wait for the doctor's assessment.

"You're nine centimeters now," Dr. Walker announces. "You should be ready to start pushing within the next couple of hours."

It's pretty clear to him that the pain of the contractions is starting to return and Quinn is feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Puck grips her hand as a contraction hits, and she holds back a groan.

"I should call your mom," Puck says. "It's going to happen soon."

"Yeah," Quinn says, wincing as another contraction hits. "Call Finn and Rachel too."

Less than an hour later, their friends and family start piling into the room. Quinn's mom places a kiss on her head, grabbing the hand that Puck isn't holding and squeezing it tight. Puck's mother managed to make it just in time, with Abby in tow. She pulls Puck into a big hug before focusing her attention on Quinn. Finn and Rachel are there too, as well as Artie, Tina, and Sam. Puck's a little surprised at all the support they're receiving when it's barely even light out.

The doctor arrives not long after and politely asks for them to give Quinn some privacy so she can check her progress.

"It's time," Dr. Walker says with a grin. "You're ten centimeters."

Puck lets out a long, nervous breath. "You ready for this?"

Quinn grins, squeezing her boyfriend's hand. "I think so."

The next thirty minutes are spent pushing. The pain is back in full force and Quinn is exhausted already.

"The baby is crowning," the doctor says. Quinn sighs in relief. So does Puck.

His heart races as he realizes that they're truly just moments away from welcoming their daughter to the world.

"You're doing so good, baby," he murmurs into Quinn's ear.

It's only a minute later when the cry fills the room.

"Congratulations," Dr. Walker says, "you've got yourself a healthy little girl."

Puck can only stand by in awe as the doctor lifts the baby up for them both to see. She's a dark pink, and her face is scrunched up as she lets out a loud wail, and she's covered in stuff Puck doesn't even _want _to know, but she's _beautiful_, so incredibly beautiful. And she's here. Finally. And he doesn't think he's ever been happier than he is in this moment.

He looks at Quinn, who has tears running down her face as she stares up at their baby with the same wonder he is feeling. Her gaze locks onto his, and the smile she gives him mirrors his own, and he wonders if it's possible for him to love her more than he does now.

The next few minutes go by in a blur, and Puck really isn't cognitive of much until Beth, wrapped up in a pink blanket, is being placed in Quinn's waiting arms. Now that she is all cleaned up, Puck can clearly see the light wisps of blond hair that sit on top of the baby's head. He sits on the edge of Quinn's bed and reaches out to curl his hand through Beth's unbelievable tiny fingers. His lips twist into a huge smile as she gently clenches onto his thumb.

"She looks like you," he says to Quinn.

Quinn smiles softly, staring down at Beth thoughtfully. "I think she has your lips."

He laughs. "How can you even tell?"

"I don't know. I just look at her lips, and I see you."

"Well, I guess that's not such a bad thing."

He leans down to place a kiss on Beth's tiny forehead. He wants her to open her eyes, to see if she's got his eyes or Quinn's, or something entirely her own. Personally, he's hoping for Quinn's.

The next hour is spent showing off Beth to her family. Puck beams with pride as his friends and family gather around him in the waiting room, all of them gushing over his little girl. When he reluctantly hands the baby over to Judy for a few minutes, his own mother pulls him into a tight embrace tears in her eyes as she whispers into his ear, "I'm so happy for you." He's not embarrassed to admit that he may have teared up a little at that (okay, maybe he's a _little _embarrassed).

After they've all had a chance to get a good look at her, Puck takes Beth back to Quinn, who is eager to have her daughter back in her arms once more.

"What did they think?" she asks.

"They thought she was the cutest baby alive, of course," Puck says as he takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. "They're all gonna stop by again in a few hours, after you've gotten some rest."

Quinn looks as if she didn't hear a word Puck just says as she lifts Beth up to her face and places a sweet kiss on her nose. Puck smiles as Beth lets out an adorable squeaking sound before opening her mouth into a yawn.

"It looks like she's opening her eyes," Quinn says.

Puck leans forward to get a closer look, and Quinn's right. Her eyelids flutter a few times, obviously having a tough time adjusting to the light, but finally they open wide, revealing bright blue eyes. Her eyes move between them both, before resting on Quinn.

Quinn releases a happy sigh. "Hi, Beth," she says. "I'm your mom. And that handsome guy over there is your dad."

"And you don't understand anything we're saying," Puck says, curling his hand around Beth's like he did earlier. "But that's okay. If you're half as smart as your mom, you'll learn in no time."

As Quinn smiles softly over at him, Puck finds himself thinking of the little black box that has been sitting in his underwear drawer ever since he bought it a couple days ago. Now feels like the perfect moment, and he's so incredibly tempted to rush home and get it, but he stops himself. Because as much as he wants to, he's already got it all planned out, and he knows the wait will be worth it.

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asks him.

"How much I love you both," he says, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Funny," she says, grinning back at him. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

"Pretty crazy that after all we've been through, we ended up here, huh?"

"Never in a million years would I have expected my life to turn out like this," she agrees. "But I'm really glad it did."

He smiles. "Me too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As I'm sure you can all tell, this story is coming to a close. This is actually the second to last chapter, so only one update left. I haven't started on it yet, but I know exactly what I want to happen, so hopefully I'll be able to get it written pretty fast so I don't have to keep you all waiting again.**

**Thanks so much to everyone for reading and please leave a review if you can!**


	16. If My Heart Was A House

**A/N: This chapter's lyrics are from a song by Owl City (and as I'm sure you'll notice, it's the song this story is named after).**

**And with that said, I present to you the final chapter…**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16:<strong> _**If My Heart Was A House**_

_Circle me and the needle moves gracefully__  
><em>_Back and forth__  
><em>_If my heart was a compass you'd be north__  
><em>_Risk it all cause I'll catch you if you fall__  
><em>_Wherever you go__  
><em>_If my heart was a house you'd be home._

The call comes exactly on schedule. Puck lets it ring a couple times, trying not to seem too eager, before nonchalantly lifting the phone to his ear.

"Hey…"

"Hey, man," Finn says.

Puck glances quickly from his place in the kitchen into the living room, where Quinn is seated on the couch, holding Beth in her arms. The baby appears to be wide awake, making the adorable little squeaking sounds they've become fondly accustomed to over the last two and a half months. Even though Quinn is clearly enthralled in interacting with their daughter, Puck decides to take the phone call into their room. He doesn't want her to catch even a hint of their conversation.

"Everything going according to plan?" Puck asks, unable to keep the anxious tone from his voice.

"Yup," Finn answers. "I'm on my way to pick up the food now."

"You didn't actually light the candles yet, right? Because no one's there right now, and that's kind of a fire hazard-"

"Relax, man," Finn says, chuckling softly, "I'm not that dumb. I'm going back after I get the food and _then _I'll light them, just like you told me to."

"Sorry." Puck runs along the back of his neck tiredly. "I just...I want everything to be perfect."

"It will be. Don't worry, Puck. There's no way Quinn isn't going to love this."

"I know," Puck says, a small smile coming to his face. "It is kind of awesome, isn't it?"

"It's amazing," Finn agrees. "Now, I've get going. I'm at the restaurant. I'll send you a text when I'm finished setting everything up."

"Alright," Puck says. "And thanks, Finn. For doing all this, I mean. I couldn't have done it without you."

"I was glad to help. Although I've gotta say, it's been pretty hard keeping this all from Rachel. She's been getting kind of suspicious."

"It'll all be over soon," Puck says. "And the wait will be worth it. She'll be as shocked as Quinn."

Finn laughs. "She'll probably be even more shocked, knowing her. Anyway, good luck, man."

"Thanks," Puck says.

He releases a long sigh as he hangs up. He wants everything to be perfect tonight. This has been over two months in the making and if anything goes wrong...well, he just can't allow himself to think about that.

"Was that Finn?" Quinn asks as he joins his girlfriend and daughter in the living room.

"Yeah," he says, taking a seat next to her. He looks down at Beth, who is now situated comfortably in her bouncer on top of the coffee table. She shakes her hands and legs around happily, one of her favorite activities of late - and something that always makes Puck laugh.

"How's my little girl doing?" Puck says, grinning down at Beth, who's now staring curiously up at him with those adorable blue eyes of hers. He reaches out to grab her tiny hand and she quickly curls her hand around his index fingers. Puck's smile widens; he loves it when she does that.

"Do you think she's going to be okay without us?" Quinn says. She's got that worried look on her face again, the same one she got last week he told her that he was planning on taking her out for their first date since Beth was born. He doesn't understand why she's so anxious, though. Quinn started to work again a few weeks ago, and even though her shifts are shorter than normal, she's still spending at least a few hours away from Beth. Tonight, however, is the first time they've left Beth alone without at least one of them home.

"Your mom is over here all the time," Puck says. Judy had recently moved to New York after making the decision to start completely fresh in her post-divorce life. Puck was surprised to find that it was actually pretty nice having her around, especially when they needed help with Beth. "Beth knows her face almost as well as she knows ours. She's gonna be fine, Quinn."

"I know," Quinn says reluctantly.

"And we'll only be gone for a few hours," Puck adds, seeing that Quinn still needs a little extra reassurance. "And we'll call halfway through to check up on her."

"Halfway through?" She eyes him slyly. "I was thinking every half hour..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Quinn..."

"I'm kidding," she says and then adds under her breath. "Maybe."

"After you've seen what I've got planned you'll probably be too distracted to think about calling."

"And what _do _you have planned?" Quinn asks. The annoyed look on her face tells him that she already knows what his answer will be.

He just laughs. "I don't know why you bother to keep asking. I told you that it's a surprise and I'm not going to change my mind. Just have a little patience, babe. You're gonna find out soon enough."

"Fine," Quinn grumbles. "But you know I don't like surprises."

"You're gonna love this one," Puck says, trying to sound as confident as possible.

At least he _hopes_ she will.

Because if she doesn't, he's kind of screwed.

**888**

"Where are we going?" Quinn asks again, because at this rate she really doesn't have a clue.

Instead of hailing a cab outside their apartment, as she expected he would, he had simply taken her hand and started leading her down the sidewalk. This fact alone was surprising, since there weren't a lot of restaurants that they actually liked around their neighborhood, and when he said they were going out, she could have only assumed that he meant they were going out for dinner. Apparently not, though, given the location. This annoys her slightly because she hasn't ate much today and now she's practically starving.

"Patience, Quinn," is Puck's reply. Of course it has the opposite effect, especially since he has told her the exact same thing the past two times she asked.

"We've walked almost eight blocks and you still haven't said a word about where we're going. I'm done being patient."

"Eight blocks is nothing. And we've got just a few more to go. Nothing wrong with a little exercise anyway."

"Why didn't we just take a cab? I'm not exactly wearing walking shoes," she says, motioning down to the black stilettos that she had bought a few days ago in celebration of the swelling in her feet _finally _going down. After all this walking, though, she had feeling her feet would be even worse off than they had been during her pregnancy.

Puck chuckles. "You were so excited about new shoes. Only God knows why - I mean seriously they're shoes, who cares? But still, I didn't have the heart to tell you that you shouldn't wear them."

Quinn grumbles in response, although she's really not that put out by this as she's making him think. Whatever Puck has planned, he's obviously put a lot of thought into it and she's pretty sure it'll make up for a long walk in high heels.

"It's gonna be worth it, okay?" Puck says, as if reading her thoughts. He squeezes her hand. "Trust me."

So she does, and they continue their walk for just a few more minutes until he finally stops. He's standing in front of an empty store space, situated in between a popular tanning shop and a Chinese restaurant that she's never been to before. She begins to walk into the restaurant, assuming that's where they're eating, but he grabs her hand and nods at the empty shop.

"What's this?" she asks curiously.

He grins at her. "How do you feel about opening that bakery of yours?"

Quinn looks at him incredulously. "Wait, did you...?"

"Buy this place? Yup, I did. Closed the deal on Monday, actually. This is why I wanted us to walk here. I wanted you see that it's not that far from our place, so we never have to worry about traffic or anything like that."

For a moment, she just stands there, absolutely frozen. Because this can't be real - he can't have possibly bought her a place to start the business she's wanted for years. There's just no way.

"But...how?"

Laughing lightly, he pulls out a key and leads her to the front door. "I'll explain inside," he says. "I want you to see this place. It's absolutely perfect."

Wordlessly, she follows him inside. The room is lit only by candlelight, but it's more than enough for her to get a good look, while also giving the room a romantic feeling. There's one long counter on right hand side of the room and a few shelves behind it. The floor is a dark hardwood and even though there are a few noticeable scuff marks, it's in fairly good shape. In the center of the room is one small table set for two.

"It used to be a pizzeria," Puck explains, "but it went out of a business a few months ago. I know some of the cabinets are out of date, and we'll need to repaint the walls, but I don't think it'll take that much work to make this place look presentable. Besides, once you take a look at the kitchen, you'll understand why this place is so awesome."

And she does. The kitchen is huge. Bigger than any kitchen she's ever been in. The appliances are older, but all seem to be in working condition, and there's a big freezer in the back corner and plenty of storage space.

"They left a lot of cooking supplies here, too," Puck said. "So we can save a little money there." He grins as he points out the brick oven. "We can even make pizza too. Although they kind of failed at that once here, so maybe not."

Quinn stops in the middle of the room, taking it all in. She still can't believe that this place is actually hers, that she actually gets to start on the this dream she has had for so long. She looks at Puck, who's just watching her, a soft smile on his face.

"How?" she asks, walking over to him. "How could you afford this?"

"I couldn't," he says, crossing his arms in a pleased sort of way as he leans against the counter. "At least not all of it. So I asked your mom for a loan."

She isn't sure she likes where this is headed. "Puck..."

"I know, I know, you hate borrowing money from your parents. But I figured this would be worth it. Besides, your mom said no to the loan."

"But you said-"

"If you'd let me finish," he said with a grin.

She chuckles. "Go ahead."

"She said no to the loan because she didn't want it to be a loan. She wanted to actually _buy _it for you. She doesn't want you to pay her back."

Quinn's eyes widen. "She paid for all of this?"

"_Most_ of it. I couldn't let her buy the whole thing, wouldn't have felt right. But yeah, it's really thanks to her that we have this place. She wants you to accomplish your dream, Quinn, and so do I. You don't really need to finish school to do this. But your mom did say that if you _want _to, she'll pay for that too. The only thing she did ask is that she gets to help start this place up."

Quinn just shakes her head in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. It's all so overwhelming; she can barely take it in.

Puck smiles as he wraps an arm around Quinn's waist and pulls her body closer to him. "Do you like it?"

She lets out a watery laugh before falling into his embrace. "I love it," she murmurs.

"Good. Cause you know it would _really _suck if you didn't."

She leans her head against his chest and smiles. "How could I not? It's perfect."

"It's gonna be amazing, Quinn." He runs his hand through her hair, an excited smile on his face, and she can tell he's already put a lot of thought into this. "I know that starting a small business is always risky, but I really think that we can make it work. I mean, you're practically already running a catering company. Now you've got a place to actually do it all and customers who will follow you here. And I'm gonna do this with you, Quinn. Right now I'm gonna have to split time between here and the guitar shop, but eventually I want to be able to work here full-time."

"You'd leave your job behind for this?" she asks, surprised, because Puck loves his job, and more than anything he loves being able to work with music.

"Of course. I can't think of a better job than going into the baking business with my wife."

Quinn just nods happily, glancing around once more at the kitchen. "When can we get started on fixing this place up?" she asks.

"As soon as we want. Your mom and I have actually already started shopping around for some-"

"Wait." Her eyes narrow as she realizes something - something that may have just been a slip of the tongue, but still, she has to ask. "Did you just say that you couldn't think of a better job than going into business with your _wife_?"

Puck looks a bit hazy at this, but then his lips twist into a soft smile and her heartbeat quickens as she wonders if this means what she thinks it means. "Picked up on that, huh?" he says.

And then he's reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a tiny black box. She sucks in a breath; the surprises just keep on coming tonight. He looks at her nervously for a moment, a shaky grin on his face, before opening the box and falling down to one knee.

"Quinn, I love you so much. I know we haven't been together that long, but when you know, you know, right? And I _know _I've found the girl I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with. So...will you marry me?"

She doesn't even need to think. Why would she? "Yes," she says, her eyes welling up with tears. "Yes, of _course _I'll marry you."

Beaming, he stands up, pulls her into his arms, and kisses her senseless. She smiles against his lips and the tears fall freely, but she doesn't care because this is one of the happiest moments of her life, second only to when she first held her daughter in her arms.

"I love you," she says as they both pull away.

Cradling their hands together in between them, he leans his forehead against hers. "I love you too." Then he pulls the ring back out, holding it out towards her. "I think you're supposed to wear this."

She grins. "I am, aren't I?"

He slips it carefully onto her finger, a perfect fit, and she admires the ring for a moment. It's a smaller diamond on a silver band, but it's beautiful.

"I wanted to ask you sooner," Puck says, and she looks back at him. "I actually bought the ring a few days before Beth was born, which was when I first saw this place. But I had planned this whole thing out, and I wanted it to be here, and since this place wasn't officially ours until a few days ago, the proposal had to wait."

"Well, the wait was worth it," she says. "Because this..._everything_...it's perfect. It's all perfect."

"Glad you think so," he says, chuckling softly.

"What changed?" she asks suddenly, her mind drifting back to a moment they had shared some time ago."At Rachel and Finn's wedding you said that marriage wasn't for you."

"I did say that. But I also said that if I found the right girl, I might change my mind. And the right girl is standing right in front of me."

Her lips crack into almost a shy smile, her eyes falling down at the ground. When he says things like that, she can't help but blush. It used to annoy her that he had that sort of control over her. Now, though, she has to admit that she kind of likes it.

Lifting her chin with his finger, he meets his eyes with hers before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I've got some dinner heating up over there," Puck says, nodding over to the large oven. "It's ready to eat whenever you are."

She cocks an eyebrow. "Did you make it?"

"Of course not," he says, chuckling. "I wasn't about to ruin the night with my awful cooking. It's takeout from that Italian place you love."

Quinn smiles. "Perfect."

"Yeah," he says, turning serious once more as he takes her left hand in his. He rubs his thumb against her ring finger, smiling as he feels the diamond against his skin. "It is, isn't it?"

"I couldn't imagine anything better," Quinn murmurs, and she's not just talking about tonight.

"This is just the beginning, Quinn," he says, running a hand along the edge of her face. "We're gonna have the most amazing life together."

"We already do," Quinn says, and she leans in for another kiss.

And then his lips are on hers, and he _knows,_ knows with everything he has, that she's right - that everything they have now is all they'll ever need, all they have ever wanted, and anything else is just the great big cherry on top of it all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's a wrap (and a very fluffy one at that).**

**Thanks so much to everyone for reading! And to those who reviewed/favorited/alerted - it's because of your support that I stuck with this story. I have to admit there were times when I felt like giving up on it, because my love for Glee just isn't what it used to be and because my frustration with the way Quinn and Puck have been treated on the show has caused me to pull even further away from the show, but you guys pushed me to continue and I really do appreciate that. **

**As of now I have no plans to write a sequel to this. I'll actually to be taking a break from writing for Glee in order to focus on a story I'm writing for another fandom, so I don't know when I'll get back to Quinn and Puck – but I do hope to get back to them someday!**

**Thanks again for everyone's support!**


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